An Alice Story
by momomagic
Summary: Years of imprisonment has left Alice cold and miserable in the Castle of Glast Heim. Cursed with immmortality, she would serve the Owl Baron for the rest of eternity...until she was given a chance to move on and escape the harsh life she has endured...
1. Prolouge

This story was first posted in Roempires, by none other than me +trumpets+ I'm outta' that place, so here I am, starting new in Fanfiction My story was well-liked back there...so hope you guys here like it too Story is complete Added a few forum members in the story, upon request. Anyway, enjoy!

**  
Prologue**

It would be the last time Glast Heim would remain standing.

Hundreds of Titans have breached the walls of the city, destroying anything in their path. The citizens scream as the attackers smashed their houses. Those seeking refuge in their homes were crushed instantly as the Titans marched on toward the castle. There was no stopping them.  
All the knights and mercenaries were summoned to protect the city…only to be sent to an early grave. The Titans tore up the defenders inside out, flattened with their footsteps and used magic to kill those too cowardly to die in battle.

Then, all the Titans turned to their true objective…the Castle. They tore open the wall with one stroke of their mighty claw, killing all inhabitants living inside. They blasted the hallways with fireballs and came to the throne room.

Glast Heim's Legion of Abyss, a group of elite knights, were lined up in front of the throne. "Protect the empurium!" cried the King. It would be the first and last order he gave them. The brave men and women of the Legion fought Midgards most valiant battle in history. Almost all the Titans were killed...but only 13 knights remained standing.

The Titans stopped their attack, and parted a gap to reveal the fiend's leader.

"The Dark Lord," Muttered the King under his breath. The other ruler only stared at the King with cold blood red eyes. He raised his hand, and called forth a thousand meteors to burn the city. A thousand screams could be heard outside the walls of the throne room. The Legion of Abyss could not move. The King only stared in horror as his city was destroyed.

"This is the last for you," said the Dark Lord as he summoned a chain of lightening bolts to strike the Legion. They died instantly and all that was left standing was the King himself.

Finally, the Dark lord spoke to the King, "You and your pitiful efforts to survive has been all for naught. Surrender the emperium, or I shall give you the slowest, most painful death I could give with all my power.

The King was afraid, very afraid, but he was determined to make Glast Heim last as long as possible. He was King, and he had to be ready to give everything for his city.

"Never. Not to the likes of you," the king replied as calmly as possible.

The Dark Lord sneered. "Very well, then I shall keep my promise to you."

The King could feel his skin ripping off from his flesh. His Flesh peeled off his bones and all his organs were torn into pieces. All this lasted for3 days. The pain was excruciating, and his scream joined the thousands in his city. The King pleaded death, but the Dark Lord already had what he wanted. The emperium was his, and he had control of this city now.

Alice was a young orphan who worked in an inn in Glast Heim. She had always done her job to the best of her abilities and with all her pride. She has never left a dust or spot get on any of the rooms. She has always loved her job.

But what has she done to deserve this?

The cit was burning. Craters marked the fall of meteors and attacks from the Titans and the Inn lie in ruins. All that was left of it was she, everyone around her was dead, and the screaming she heard was far and distant. She was all alone…just like when she was an orphan. She had no friends again, no hopes for anything…  
"Maybe I should have die too…"

A huge shadow descended the ruins where Alice sat crying. A horrifying sight appeared in front of her. She could not turn away from the figure.

The Dark Lord appeared in front of her.

"What? A mortal still lives? I shall have to kill you if I still want my reputation."

The Dark Lord has been known to destroy everyone and everything in one strike. Never has he killed something with two or more shots. It was a disgrace to him for anyone to know.

Alice clutched her legs even tighter, sobbing relentlessly into her dress as she prepared for her last fate.

But nothing came. Nothing touched her. She didn't feel death. Alice still saw the huge figure of the Dark Lord in front of her.

"Hmm…you are too much trouble to be killed. If the Titans see this they will spread the rumours to other demons…I cannot have them. You, mortal, shall be my slave from this day forth…forever and ever."

Alice has heard of the Dark Lord enslaving people before. He cast a cruel spell that removes almost all the blood in the victims' body, transforming into a demi-demon, enabling eternal life…for a life of enslavement.

Alice felt her veins pulsing. Her heart beat like nothing before. She could feel her body being drained...she spat a long trail of blood on the floor. Her skin tingled as her humanity was drained from her, and then amplified to spasms, then unbelievable pain. She screamed as her skin became paler, her blood flew out her mouth like a faucet. She just wanted to die…


	2. Another Day in Life

**Another day in a life…  
**  
1000 years later…

Alice was going around Glast Heim Castle as usual, sweeping floors, arranging books and a lot of other chores. She still had the castle main entrance to clean up, but it was pointless anyway. The number of humans swarming into the castle has increased drastically for the last few years. Not even the Owl Baron could stop them, and Alice herself was killed by some of them a few times, not that it mattered much. The Dark Lord placed a spell that allowed anyone with the right spell to resurrect her into a random place in the castle. Alice has gotten used to dying. She has lost all love for humans along with it.

The Owl Baron was Alice's new master ever since 700 years ago, as a gift for a new alliance between him and the Dark Lord. She has been sweeping the castle the Baron lived in ever since. 

She sighed as another priest walked into the castle uninvited. Couldn't they just leave her alone? The priest just walked past her with a quick glance, and went to the direction of the prison cells.

She continued sweeping the floors and pretended nothing has happened as she went on with her agenda. She found the remnants of a Rideworm and asked one of her Sage Worm helpers to clean it up and put it back in the library. Alice watched as it picked up the book with fangs and hastily ran back to the library. Whoever killed the Rideworm didn't know they were killing Alice's friends here in the castle, don't they know it hurts to see a friend die? Alice held back tears and proceeded to the entrance.

The humans were always messing around this place, killing all of Alice's friends. But they'd all come back to life. No one was allowed to die in here. They would be resurrected and they will continue to be enslaved by the Owl Baron no matter what.

Alice was just about done with the front when a hunter walked in. Alice paced away from her, but the moment the hunter's eyes were laid on Alice, she let fly a hail of arrows. More then a dozen pierced through her, and she could feel a burning pain in the places she was shot. It hurt, but she wasn't beaten. She retaliated by charging at the hunter, hitting her square in the face with her broom. The hunter staggered for a second, and Alice hit her legs this time. The hunter fell to the floor, apparently unconscious.

"Serves you right," Alice turned away as she mocked the black-eyed hunter. Alice pulled out the arrows, flinching at the pain. She recited the healing spell and her wounds disappeared, only holes in her outfit marked where she was hit. The hunters' body disappeared as she was respawned to a nearby city. New magic has been able to do what the Dark Lord was able to do a century ago…

"Mew…mew…" came a soft from behind Alice. She turned around to see what made the sound, but saw nothing. She didn't remember anybody in Glast Heim ever making such a cry like what she just heard. Maybe the Owl Baron has a new servant? Alice decided to greet him.

The mewing got louder as Alice approached one of the pillars. She became more and more curious as to what made the sounds. When she rounded the nearest pillar, Alice gasped as she saw what lay on the floor.

It was a kitten, lying on the floor with gashes all around its body; the wounds were so deep you could see something peculiar that looks like it was beating. It bled a small puddle of red. The poor thing was gasping for air as its own blood soaked its nose. Its body twitched from the pain, but it was unable to move. It was hanging on to its own thread of life as tightly as possible.

Alice was shocked as of who would do something like this, it was inhumane, it was cruel….

It was like what the Dark Lord has done to her.

She took action immediately. Alice recited the healing spell again, this time directed at the kitten. The wounds closed around the kitten and it stopped shuddering. Alice used her apron to wipe off all the blood off the kittens' body, gently rubbing it against its fur. The kitten was startled at first, but softened up and actually looked like it enjoyed it.

Alice stroked the kitten's fur, envying its softness and warmth. The kitten dozed off in Alice's arms, making small baby snores. Alice went back to her quarters and put it on a cushion. The kitten curled up into a fluffy ball and slept more peacefully. Alice let out a soft giggle as she changed her clothes. The Owl Baron has give her a full closet of Alice's uniform, and was magically altered so that they could regenerate themselves over time. It saved Alice the trouble of sewing them, and she was grateful as she had a lot more to do already.

Everybody has a name, so what was this kittens' one? Alice sat on a chair with her head on the table. She scrutinized the kitten for a while, looking at how its' little tail would twitch around slightly every time it snored. It was just too cute that Alice forgot about her chores for once.

"Okay, since you can't tell me your name, I think I'll call you 'Little Tails'. Since you're small and your tail keeps moving even if you're sleeping!" Little Tail just kept on snoring, but it was alright with Alice. He's been through a lot just now, and he deserves a break.

"Now we're friends, aren't we Tails?" Little Tails continued to ignore her.


	3. Goodbye Little Tails

**Goodbye Little Tails...**

Glast Heim Castle, a few days after Chapter 1

"ALICE!" The Owl Baron boomed in the guest room of Glast Heim. The place was destroyed long ago, but then again, everything in Glast Heim was destroyed. The Owl Baron floated around impatiently as he waited for his servant to come. This room needed to be cleaned up before the Dark Lord came for his weekly meeting…

The girl in blue came running up the steps leading to the guest room, panting as she clutched her broom in her right hand and the other hand held a small kitten. The Baron looked disapprovingly at the kitten, but decided there are more important things.

Alice gave a low bow, and the Baron proceeded with his briefing.

"I want you to clean up this room as soon as possible. The Dark Lord will be coming for another meeting with me and all the other Owl Dukes. I don't want him to find this place a bigger mess then he last left it. Understood?"

"Yes master, I'll get it done right away," Alice replied with a slight bow. She immediately went to the far corner and swept away the dust away from that area. The Owl Baron watched for a while, then was about to leave when the sounds of a cat stopped him.

"MewMew" the cat Alice was holding started mewing, as if it was in need of something. This greatly irritated the Owl Baron. For such a puny little creature, it was causing a great ruckus.

"Shhh, please don't cry…We could go back to my room when we're done here…" Alice desperately tried to calm Little Tails down, but the Owl Baron has already taken notice of the little feline.

"Who is this, Alice? I do not remember giving permission to bring visitors into my kingdom," The Owl Baron demanded. He was very strict about people not following his rules.

Alice desperately tried to find a good excuse. Oh no…, Alice thought to herself, I can't let him take away Little Tails from me…oh someone help me-

Help…Yes there was an excuse!

"Um…he's…uh, my new helper, he helps me clean up, like my Sage Worms…"

Please make him believe it, Please make him believe it…

The Owl Baron stared at the little ball of fur in Alice's arm. It was obviously a lie, the Sage Worms were more then enough help. But this gave him an idea. If there was only one Alice, then it would take the whole day to clean up the castle.

But if there were more Alice's', then the job will be done much faster. Brilliant.

"Very well. You may keep your servant. And your actions have sparked me a new idea. Meet me in my room after the meeting, will you Alice?" The Owl Baron replied smoothly.

"Y-yes master," Alice mumbled. The last time The Owl Baron called for Alice was to decide what her punishment would be for not keeping the library in order. It wasn't her fault either; the humans who come into the castle have always made a mess where ever they go.

Her punishment was one day in the Glast Heim prison's torture chamber. Alice remembered the constant pain, how the Injustices would use a whip to beat her up, how they would use their many creations to hurt her as much as possible…It was she has never forgotten, even after 300 years…

Alice and Little Tails went back to their room after Alice cleaned up the guest room was spick and span. She still had some time before the Owl Baron was finished with whatever business he had with the Dark Lord. She sat on her bed with Little Tails. Was the Baron going to give her another punishment? Or was it about his new idea he mentioned? All of the Barons' ideas involved hurting others, but they were all great ideas…no matter how painful.

One of Alice's Sage Worms came back to her room and informed her that the meeting was done, so Alice prepared for the worst. She walked down the hallway with Little Tails, passing Carats and Rideworms. Her heart was pounding as she came in front of the Owl Baron's chambers. She could feel her sweat pouring down her face. She wiped her forehead with her apron and took a deep breath. She opened the door and peered inside…

"BOWLING BASH!" The doors Alice peered exploded open, scattering splinters all over the place. Alice flew back onto the wall behind, getting hit by the splinters in the process. Inside the room, she saw the Owl Baron and some of the Owl Dukes battling a knight, an assassin, a priest and two hunters. Another assassin and a wizard lay on the floor unconscious.

Alice was taken away by how the attackers fought her master. The Knight slashed relentlessly at the Owl Baron, brandishing his claymore again and again. The assassin practically flew at the Owl Dukes, appearing right in their face and lets' loose a flurry of attacks from his Jamadhars. The hunters stood at a safe distance strafing the owls' with flaming arrows. The priest cast spells Alice has never seen before, making the attackers invulnerable, faster and more accurate.

Alice watched one of the Owl Dukes fell to the floor, dropping a morning star it was using. The assassin was overcome by greed, and we wanted to pick it up, only to be knocked out by the other Owl Dukes. He screamed in pain as he hit the floor,...with one of his arms detached from him.

One of the hunters ditched her bow, and drew her Combat Knife. She charged at the Owl Duke that slew the assassin and hit it at a weak spot, spilling blood all over the hunter. The other Duke cowered away from the corpse of the Owl Duke, only to meet a swift end as the other hunter shot two fire arrows into its back.

All that was left of the Owls was the Owl Duke himself. He sneered at the hunter without a bow and chanted a slow solemn spell. Lightning appeared out of no where and the huntress lay fallen with the rest of her comrades, blackened and smoking. He dispatched the other hunter with two strokes from his staff, impaling a hole into his chest. He then turned towards the knight.

Alice knew there was no way the knight could defeat the Owl Baron with only a priest to help, she wanted to tell them to run, but the knight did something unexpected…

He screamed a battle cry and his body started glowing red with anger…he wasn't just a knight, he was a lord knight.

His claymore had an eerie white glow emitting from it, and it slashed at the Owl Baron over and over again. Every time he missed the Baron, he got angrier. His footsteps carved into the floor as his claymore was blocked by the Owl Baron's staff. The Owl Baron could not summon enough time to cast a spell. The knights' speed was getting faster with every attack. Then, finally, the Lord Knights' sword hit home. The Owl Baron was effectively decapitated in one hit.

Alice stood horrified outside the hallway. Even the priest took cover outside when the lord knight went into his rage. The knight walked out of the room, looking at the priest, then at Alice. They locked eyes for a moment.

For a long time in years, Alice was frightened beyond imagination. She has never felt so much fear ever since the Dark Lord took her. The lord knights' eyes were glowing red, his face contorted into a menacing look and he was panting and sweating profusely.

He raised is sword in an attacking stance, ready to strike Alice down. But, he was stopped by a sound coming from Alice herself.

"Mew! Mew!" Little Tails pawed Alice's apron, nagging that it was hungry. Alice was too frightened to even stand up to face the threat before her, so she clutched Little Tails even tighter. Tears streamed down her eyes as she prepared to die to protect Little Tails.

The lord knight lowered his weapon and kneeled down in front of her. He Held Alice's chin in his hand, forcing her to look at her.

"Tell me, is this your cat?"

Alice nodded slightly, then plucked up what was up of her courage and said, "P-please…take Little Tails with you, he doesn't deserve to be in a place like this…not with that tyrant...I don't want him…to live my life…"

The priest walked beside Alice and gently picked up Little Tails. Alice held her legs tightly to her chest, sobbing even harder. She has given her friend to a total stranger, murderers, enemies, yet she hoped that Little Tails would have a better life then here with them…to sacrifice so much for a friend, the cost was more then Alice could bear. She hated to lose her friends. Ever Since Glast Heim Burned.

The figure of the lord knight towered over Alice again, with his sword in hand and eyes staring down at her.

"But I still want your apron," replied the he unemotionally.

With those words, he slashed Alice in half, spilling flesh and blood onto the floor in a grotesque mess.

Just at the last second before Alice's world darkened again, she could hear Little Tails' cry for one last time…


	4. A new Life?

**A new life…?**

Glast Heim, a few hours after chapter 2

Alice lay on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. She could feel the Sage Worms patting her back, but she just wanted to be alone. She didn't want anymore friends…

She didn't want to lose any more friends.

She got out of bed, ignoring the startled Sage Worms. She undressed her sleeping wear and got into her uniform. She was still sad that she lost Little Tails, but she didn't want the Owl Baron to hurt her again either. She got her broom and back to the Owl Barons' room to clean up the mess.

She wiped her tears out of her eyes out of her eyes and entered the room. The Owl Baron was seated in a tall marble chair, eyeing Alice carefully. There was clearly indication that he been in the bloody battle. A ring of skin around the Owl Baron remained where feathers should have been. His Staff was split into two and his clothes had patches and stitches all over it.

The room was an even worse mess. The Barons' desk was smashed into sorry little bits on the floor. The door only had small planks of wood attached to its hinges, what was left of it lay in a heap on the floor. The floor mat was torn and stained with blood and the ornaments were all toppled or shattered, priceless valuables made worthless in an instant.

The Owl Baron caught Alice's attention again, "I am in no mood to lecture you on what I had in mind earlier on. Clean up this mess and get out of my sight. Well, didn't you hear me? CLEAN THIS MESS UP!"

Alice was frightened into action and hurriedly swept the broken objects out of the room. She summoned some of her sage worms to take away the floor mat and Alice went to get a new one from the storage.

She climbed the stairs to level two of the castle, still carrying her broom in hand. A few Rideworms flew past her, and she greeted them as cheerfully as possible. Alice didn't want the other members of the castle to know how she was feeling. She wanted them to believe everything was alright and so they would all leave her alone. She didn't like people to nag about how she was feeling.

She didn't want them to make her remember Little Tails.

Alice rounded a corner before she would let herself cry again. She slumped down into the floor and cried again, thinking about Little Tails, thinking how she just gave him away to people who would kill people for fun, to people who could care less how she felt, and to people whom Alice has never met or could ever trust.

Yet, she gave her friend to them, believing they would take care of Little Tails, only to be killed by them in the name of greed. She hated herself for doing it. She hated herself for believing them.

She hated herself for losing a friend.

She dug herself into her apron, crying her heart out. She wanted Little Tails back. She wanted him to be in her arms, comforting her. She wanted him to come down the hallway and mock Alice as if it was all another joke, and she fell for it.

But Little Tails never came. Not a mew or a footstep to show he was back. Ever.

Alice forced herself to think about something else. She couldn't live like this. She's already lost everything a thousand years ago. This was nothing compared to what she has faced, but why was she still crying? She shouldn't be crying, damn it, she shouldn't.

Just as she was about to get up, a purple blur zoomed past her. A priest ran past Alice, blood and arrows covering her back. A Raydric Archer took aim as it prepared to add another arrow into the priest. The priest began chanting furiously, opening a portal in the ground, but it was too late. The Raydric Archer shot the final blow into the priests' head, going straight through her skull and out an eye socket. She slumped down, lifeless, bleeding a sea of red into the ground.

The Raydric Archer ignored Alice completely, marching off in the opposite direction. But the portal still remained, glowing a soft blue and revealing the landscape of a city on the other side.

Alice's heart raced. This was a chance of a lifetime. She could sneak out of Glast Heim unnoticed if she went through the portal. She could be rid of this place and return to her old, human life again. She didn't have to sweep up a dusty castle ever again if she wanted to.

She could look for Little Tails.

With that thought in mind, Alice raced into the portal before it could close. She could feel the change of temperature as the cold of Glast Heim was banished by the warmth of the sun. The view in front of her was no longer dark and gloomy, but rather, bright and sunny. Everything was white and brown. The road was made of white marble, the houses towering over her, blocking her view of the rest of this place. And behind her was a shop with three doors. On the doors were the word "Open" and a small but remarkable emblem beneath it.

Alice has seen the emblem once in the Glast Heim library. It was the flag of the capital of Midgard.

Alice was in Prontera.


	5. A Thousand Year Old Wish

**A thousand year old wish…**

Prontera, Midgard Capital City, just after Chapter 3

Alice looked at the shop in front of her. It looked very different and much newer then the buildings in Glast Heim while they still stood. Alice was taken away by the beauty of the architecture for a second. It was a long time since Alice has been out of Glast Heim, and to see such a change in civilization was simply astonishing.

She didn't even notice when a woman stepped out of the shop.

Jovich was the best hairdresser of Prontera, famous for perfecting the arts of dyeing hair, as well as appealing to some men's desire. She was going on to her routine pickup of dyes from the local Kapra receptionist. She sighed as the old man Rephere raved away about how expensive goods from Morroc were these days. Jovich slipped on her sandals and opened the door leading outside…

On the roadway in front of the shop, a girl dressed in a blue dress and white apron sat staring at the top floor of the building. She looked very young, and her eyes looked blank. Her skin was deathly pale, and her hair was dark blue, ending near her waist. She had a tear in one of her eyes, and Jovich had a feeling she was lost.

Jovich walked up to her and said in her warm, kind voice, "Hello dear, are you lost?" The girl in the strange dress took one look at Jovich, and then her face changed to a frightened look. She crawled backwards away from Jovich, as if she was a wolf about to pounce on her.

She must be from Al De Baran, Jovich thought, their clothes are quite strange and they don't seem to like outsiders much.

Jovich approached the girl again, this time trying to me more friendly. "Oh, don't be scared of me! I don't look at all scary do I? Here," Jovich offered her hand, "you look like you're lost, so why don't you come into the shop for a while?" She gave the girl a genuine smile, a smile the boys in the city would die to see.

The girl looked doubtful at first, and then slowly reached out her hand towards Jovich's…

Alice backed away from the person. She feared humans for killing her so many times, and feared them even more after what the lord knight did to her. This woman was just as uncertain to Alice as the rest of them; will she kill Alice or would she do something much worse? The last thought frightened Alice even more.

But the lady spoke again, this time rather cheerfully. Alice watched her carefully, feeling no bloodlust or anger in her words. She even offered to help Alice. Maybe the lady wasn't as bad as how she thought of all the humans. Maybe she was different from all the others? It might be worth trusting her…

Alice dubiously reached out her hand and let the lady help her up onto her feet. She wiped the last of her tears away and followed the lady into the shop. It was a small cosy room; there were two counters, one filled with bottles and bowls of coloured liquids, the other was completely empty. The room itself was quite small, with the door in the middle of the wall. The room hung pictures of people getting their hair washed by another person in a green and white dress. It looked like the lady somehow….

"So, what were you doing in the streets anyway? Don't your parents follow you around?" asked the lady suddenly.

Alice thought about the question, she was here to find Little Tails…she was here so she could escape the life of a slave girl…

And her parents never followed her around; they were killed the moment Alice was born…killed by the Titans in the Thousand Year Old War…

"I…I'm lost…" Alice lied; she didn't know what else to say, finding a kitten wasn't exactly the best reason. "And…my parents died after I was born…"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that dear…but who's taking care of you now? You must have a guardian or foster parent. And what's your name?"

"Alice…Alice Ashkebourne" Despite a thousand years of enslavement, Alice still remembered her full name. She clung on to the last bit of knowledge she had about her family with iron determination. She vowed never to forget the name…

"I'm Jovovich, buy everyone calls me Jovich or Jo. You can call me either one you like better," Jovich…so this was the lady's name, Alice thought. "And you still haven't told me who's taking care of you."

Who was taking care of her? Alice didn't know what she should say. The Owl Baron was her master, but he never thought much about Alice or how she felt about her job…he never actually took care of her. And she just ran away from him…

"I-I ran away from…home…" Alice memorized every hall, room and corridor in the Glast Heim castle, yet, she was still unable to call it home. The painful experiences in the castle was too great, her heart still led her back to the inn, where she was happy to have a nice master instead of a evil tyrant. She would sweep the floors, make beds and server the customers however possible; it was a fun experience, and it always seemed like a long lost fantasy…Alice secretly wished she could have her old life back, and not clean up an impossibly dirty castle filled with agony and despair.

Jovich raised a questioning eyebrow at Alice, "You ran away? Well, you shouldn't have done it, you know that young lady? Some of us here in the city don't even have a place to go back to, left to die, cold and hungry on the streets, struggling to survive. They don't have the luxury of someone taking them under their wing, and you, little miss Alice, are too pampered to even bother to think how hard your guardian has worked to provide for you, aren't you?"

Alice thought of it…how the Owl Baron has worked for to provide for her? The only thing he ever gave her was a closet of clothes and a filthy room previously inhabited by bugs and pests. And the Baron tortured Alice regularly in her earlier days…it was a painful experience…

How could anyone living Alice's life be considered lucky?

"Ah, but what's done is done and can't be undone, only redone. I'll ask Rephere if he could let you stay in one of his spare rooms. But you're staying until we find your real home." Jovich walked into the room on the right, leaving Alice alone in the small room.

Alice took a seat on one of the benches. She scrutinized her surroundings, thinking back about the past. The room strongly reminded how the inn Alice used to work in looked like. The innkeeper would sit behind the counter, waiting for a customer to come. Alice would sweep the floor and the innkeeper would give her a thumbs up or a pat on a head if she got close enough. Alice has always kept everything spotless in the inn and was proud of it. It all ended when the Dark Lord attacked. The inn was destroyed in one hit from the meteors. Alice remembered how the walls and ceiling exploded, how she heard everyone in the inn screamed when they realised that they were going to die, how their bodies were crushed in one agonizing blow, and how she was the only one to survive…

Alice tucked her legs to her chest, sobbing softly into her skirt. It wasn't fair, they all shouldn't have died, they all should be living and breathing, like Alice…they should have all lived the experience together…or at least died together…

Jovich came back in, finding the sniffing Alice rolled up on the bench. She sat next to her and stroked her hair reassuringly, giving Alice a small sense of security. Her hand was so gentle…like the touch of an angel. Alice stopped crying, instead, she leaned closer to Jovich. She felt so warm too…like a big Little Tails…

Little Tails…

Alice cried silent tears for her lost friend. She wanted Little Tails to be sleeping in her lap again, like when they were still together…Maybe, if she didn't give him to the lord knight and priest, maybe they would still be together…but Little Tails didn't deserve living in such a poor life as Alice has, not while the Owl Baron was ruling you…

"Alice, dear, are you alright?" Alice nodded slightly in response. "Well then, I've persuaded Rephere to let you stay; under one condition, you help Tiana clean up the shop everyday. Understood?" Alice nodded again. "Alright then, let me show you your room then."

Alice was led up a flight of steps opposite to the room Rephere was in. On the second floor, there were six rooms; three had the names Jovovich, Rephere and Tiana on them. Alice's room was facing Tiana's room and was next to Jovich's room.

"All right, Alice, the toilet is the last room on the right. When you're going about cleaning this place up, the equipment store is on the last room on the left. Alrighty? Then make yourself at home."

The room Alice in was amazing. The windows had window frames with complicated patterns carved into it. It had a sky blue curtain covering it, letting in just enough light. The table had a huge vanity mirror on it, and the table itself was made of oak and had carved vines around its edges. The bed was the huge, only rivalled by the Owl Baron's own bed. A blanket was folded neatly on the bed and two pillows occupied the end where the head lay. A portrait of a city hung above the bed, and candles accompanied either side of it.

It was nothing you would ever dream of one thousand years ago. It was like sleeping for an eternity, then waking up to see everything around you has changed. Alice climbed onto the bed. It was warm and comfy, just the way she liked it. It felt like the bed Alice used to sleep on in the inn…big and comfy…big and comfy…it was just so soft…..

Alice woke up as new light shone on her face. She sat up straight, and found that someone has changed her clothes into a night gown. She peered out the window and saw the sun has just risen. It has been a thousand years since she saw the sun rising…and it looked much more beautiful then she last remembered.

A knock on the door and a young girls' voice came through the door. "Alice, are you awake? I'm coming in."

The girl came in, turning Alice's attention towards her. She looked the same age as Alice, but was definitely much younger. She had blonde, curly hair and rosy cheeks. Her eyes were blue and her mouth formed a small smile. She wore a plain brown cotton shirt and dress, contrasting with her facial features. She must be Tiana, the other inhabitant of this shop house.

She walked gracefully towards Alice, holding a set of clothes in her hands. "This is your new clothes, dad sewed it himself. Wear this, then go down stairs and have some breakfast. We'll start the morning clean up straight after that."

With that, Tiana walked out of the room, leaving Alice to her own devices. Alice looked at the set of clothes she was given. It looked the same as the one Tiana was wearing, except that it had the Prontera emblem stitched on either side of the sleeves.

Alice put them on, noticing how loose it felt compared to her old dress and apron. She looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Her face was very pale compared to Jovich and Tiana. She was still a half demon…even if she was hidden in somebody else's clothes. She touched her face with her right hand. It felt cold. Her face felt cold. Her hands felt cold. She didn't have the warmth Jovich, Little Tails or the bed could give. Is this really me? Alice wondered. I take warmth from others, but I can't give the warmth to others…

No, it's not the outside that counts, it's the inside. What mattered was if you cared, wasn't it? Alice picked up a brush on the table and brushed her hair for once in a long time. It was the first time since Little Tails she was happy. She had always wished to return to the life of the inn, and now she had a chance to make that wish true, didn't she? And one day, she'll venture out to find Little Tails again, and then maybe then her life will be complete.

Some day…one day, but not tomorrow…

Somewhere in Prontera, a lord knight holds a kitten in his hand…


	6. A Night Alone

**A night alone…**

Glast Heim Castle, five days after Alice's escape

The Owl Baron looked upon his newest creation carefully. He could not find any faults in the invention. The parts were all working perfectly. It looked and acted exactly like the original Alice.

Damn that girl, it would all have been easier if she didn't run away. That ungrateful ingrate delayed the Owl Baron's plan to make more servants working in the castle. If she'd just let him sacrifice her, then the cloning spell the Baron had would have instantly recreated a hundred more loyal slaves.

No matter, the resurrection spell that was placed on Alice was connected directly to the Owl Baron. The imprint left on the Owl Baron had enough information to build a robotic form of her…

And there were already a thousand in line, waiting to be completed.

The Owl Baron watched as the robotic Alice swept the library, rearranging books and Rideworms. It did it much less hesitantly the old Alice, in fact, it was much more efficient.

But the girl still betrayed the Owl Baron, and he could not tolerate such behaviour. He watched as another completed Alice walked into the library. It smiled at the Owl Baron and took a deep bow. The Owl Baron misinterpreted the action as a mocking gesture, throwing him into a fit of rage. He cast chain of lightning bolts to destroy the robot, blasting the Alice into little bits and pieces of shrapnel.

The Owl Baron gritted his beak together, "I'll kill her for her unfaithfulness to me. I'll give her the worst death she could possibly have. I'll level the cities of Midgard if that's what it takes to find her. I'LL DESTROY HER!"

A cloaked assassin slithered silently away, heading back to the direction of Prontera…

Prontera, Hairdressing Saloon, one day later

"Thank you for coming, I hope you like your new hair colour!" Jovich greeted the hunter out of the building. It was her fifth customer this morning; business was good as usual.

She slumped back into her chair in her counter, taking a small break while she waited for her next customer. She counted thirteen thousand zeny made already; the third customer changed his hair colour quite a few times. Oh well, the more the merrier, and the more money she'd get.

Just as she dreamt about what she could buy with her money, Alice stepped into the room, holding her broom and cloth as usual. She greeted Jovich with a timid smile, and then started sweeping the floor.

Jovich watched the pale little girl hum to herself as she continued her morning chores. Why was she always so pale? It couldn't be make-up; she saw her coming out of the bath, still having pale skin. Oh well, what ever it was, it doesn't matter much. She did her job here, and she did it much better then anyone else Jovich knew. Jovich could forget about washing the clothes ever again.

Just as Alice finished cleaning up the room, Rephere and Tiana came in simultaneously form either side of the room.

"Jovich, I need you to pick up some extra supplies I ordered that I forgot to mention to you today on your trip to the Kafra Receptionist. Can you go get them?" Rephere asked Jovich.

Aw, drat. So much for a break, thought Jovich. She scowled at Rephere, and was going to get up again, when Alice interrupted.

"Sir, I can go take those supplies, I've finished cleaning the shop too."

"I can go along to!" Tiana exclaimed. "Alice hasn't gone out of the shop for over a week anyway, right dad?"

Rephere thought about it for a while, but finally agreed to let them go do it. Jovich breathed a sigh of relief; maybe she was getting her break after all.

Alice and Tiana walked down the cobbled street, half way to where the Kafra receptionist was stationed. It was very hot and sunny outside compared to the indoor conditions of the shop…and to Glast Heim. Alice had forgotten about that place ever since she moved into Jovich's shop. She only remembered when she had a nightmare about it while she was asleep. She dreamt that the Owl Baron was after her…that she was pulled out of her new life and sent back to the life of slavery…but she was too happy to give it much thought. Her life was almost perfect now, and she wanted it to stay that way.

They walked along the wall dividing inner Prontera with outer Prontera. It kept them shaded from the sun, keeping them from breaking a sweat. A wind blew a cool and refreshing wave of air, rustling the two girls' hair.

Tiana stopped suddenly, and Alice turned to her curiously.

"I know a shortcut to the Kafra," Tiana told her, "My friend discovered it, follow me!"

They walked through an alley of empty merchant stalls, making wild zigzags around them. The place was deserted; not one person or animal stepped on its stone pathways. It had an eerie feeling to it however…like they were being watched and followed…

Watched and followed…

Alice stopped in her tracks, looking at the wall on her right. It was totally bare, nothing, not even a window hung on it. But Alice could sense something there, like an invisible entity watching their every action and move…and it looked like there was a small bulge in the wall coming out…

The wall suddenly sprung at Alice, changing its colour into purple and knocked Alice into one of the merchant stalls. The thing drew its dagger and lunged at the confused Alice. Alice saw it coming, and jumped out of the way in time.

"An assassin…" Alice heard Tiana whisper.

The assassin took two steps toward them, and then moved so fast that it looked like he disappeared. He Materialized behind Alice, stabbing the blade of a Sucsamad into Alice's back. She felt a sharp sting where the blade met her skin, feeling some blood flow out of the wound.

Tiana let out a scream, changing the assassin's attention. The assassin grabbed her throat, pulled out his jur and aiming just above his hand. Tiana desperately pulled the assassins arm away from her. Alice rushed at the assassin, yelling at him to stop.

She couldn't lose another friend. She couldn't bear it. She didn't want to repeat what happened to Little Tails…

But it was too late. The assassin thrust his jur into Tiana throat, cutting it open instantly. Blood stained the jur and the assassins' hand. Tiana made one last attempt to speak, but froze suddenly, eyes wide open and mouth gaping in shock. Her hands let go of the assassin and slumped onto the floor. Alice pushed away the assassin, only to see a pool of blood forming around her friend. The wound on her throat continuously poured blood on the floor, staining her shirt and filling the ground with the sea of red.

Alice called for her, but Tiana didn't respond. She didn't twitch or move when Alice shook her. Alice couldn't feel her heart beat when she put her face into her chest. It was worse then losing Little Tails. It was worse then she could imagine. Alice didn't believe she was dead, even as every indication of her death was present. Even as she witnessed the slaughter.

Even as she cried for her.

The assassin walked up to the corpse, looking at Alice. "She was interfering with my mission. I cannot have anyone know of you being here. The Owl Baron wants you dead, or wage war on us all. I cannot let that happen. And you must die for that."

Alice didn't care. She didn't care if the Owl Baron wanted to destroy her. She didn't care if anyone knew she was here. She didn't care if the assassin wanted her dead.

What mattered to her was that Tiana was dead. She died in front of her eyes and Alice knew she was dead. She couldn't come back to life. She didn't have a spell put on her to revive her. She was dead and she would always be that way. Alice hated this. She wished she never had moved in. She wished Tiana had never followed her. She wished she didn't die. She wished she could die with her and never have to feel sad again…

The assassin took out both jurs from his belt, and went into an attacking stance. He was about to attack when Alice stood up. She made a decision. She couldn't bring her friend back to life. She couldn't say anything to her.

But she could avenge her.

The assassin dashed in front of Alice, his jur just an inch from her face. Alice sprung into action and crouched, dodging the attack. She kicked the assassin into the wall, making a small impact crater in it. The assassin slumped onto the floor, smearing a trail of blood on the wall.

Ever since the Dark Lord made Alice into a half demon, she was granted powers normal mortals wouldn't have. She was no longer a weak little girl. She was a battle ready fighting machine when she ever chose to be one.

The assassin recovered from the attack and disappeared from sight instantaneously. Alice looked around, watching for any disfiguration in the view around her. Nothing. No sound or blur to show the assassins' position. Has he escaped? Or was he planning a surprise attack?

A sudden rustling sound came from above Alice, and a shadow shaded the sun from her. The assassin struck Alice from mid air, blades drawn and eyes angry. Alice didn't have time to react. The assassin plunged his jurs into Alice's heart, spewing a small flow of blood from her chest.

Alice backed away from the Assassin, holding the wound in pain. Her humanity was long since taken away from her. Loss of blood can't kill her. It only made her angrier. She charged at the assassin, hitting him with her bare fists. She almost missed, but instead, hit his arm. The assassin dropped his jur, screaming in pain. His arm was limping on an odd angle, spreading blood into his bandages. He took one last look at Alice, and ran away from her.

Alice couldn't sense anyone watching her, and she was in too much pain to pursue the assassin. She cast a healing spell on herself, closing the wound in her chest. She returned her attention to Tiana's dead body, this time accepting her death. She healed her wound on her throat, leaving only a small trace of where she was slashed. She closed her eyes and touched her face. It was cold, cold just like Alice. Cold and motionless on the ground.

Alice cried for her friend one last time, and then left her body where she lay. She couldn't go back to Jovich; she wouldn't know what to say to her or Rephere. She ran away from the Merchant Stalls, just in time to see a few people walking towards Tiana's corpse. They would bring her back to Jovich. Then Alice wouldn't need to explain anything to them. She would run away again…run away without any aims. Her old hate for people returned. Humans weren't all bad, but she hated those that were. For taking her friends from her. For killing Alice so many times in Glast Heim.

For killing her friend.

"Hey, girl, are you alright?" A voice called from beside Alice, and she saw a man dressed in heavy armour looking at her. A knight. "You've got blood all over you, what happened?"

Alice didn't know who that person was; it wasn't the lord knight who took Little Tails. She didn't want to speak to him or anyone at all. She dashed of into an alley, and ran away from him as fast as possible. She just wanted to be left alone...

Alice stopped to catch her breath. She has been running around Prontera for a few hours, and she needed a rest. She panted heavily, refilling her lungs with fresh air. She looked up and saw she ended up near a church. It was the beautiful, but it wasn't the best church Alice has seen. The one in Glast Heim was much bigger and much lovelier before the Dark Lord destroyed it.

Alice leapt onto the roof, landing just beside the holy cross. She sat beside it, legs dangling on the edge of the roof and one arm hugged the cross. It was a nice place to watch the sun set. It was nice to forget your worries for just a while. The sun set made Alice a little happier. It was beautiful; turning the sky into a bloody shade of red…

Bloody shade of red…

Alice couldn't help but cry for Tiana. She lost another friend forever. She hated this feeling. Why did she have to cry? Why can't she just forget it all? Why can't she live a normal life? She thought about what that assassin said. The Owl Baron was going to start a war again. Many people will die because of her. Many people will lose their friends because of her. She didn't want another war like one thousand years ago. It was bad enough having just one…

It was all my fault…Alice thought to herself, I shouldn't have run away…I shouldn't have let anyone else into my life…it was all my fault…all my fault…all mine…

Alice fell asleep from exhaustion, tears still flowing down her eyes and her arm still hugged the holy cross.

A lord knight watched as a little girl sat on top of the church by herself…


	7. The Abyss Legion

**The Abyss Legion…**

Prontera, Capital of Midgard, one day after Chapter 5

Auril strolled down the famous strip of road where merchants swarm together to sell their goods, forming one of the biggest markets in Midgard. He peered into each and every one of their carts, searching for his item of desire. Where's the damned pet food? He had a recent brawl with the local taming merchant, so he wasn't about to buy any of his goods straight from him.

Auril felt a small force struggling inside his back pack. He sighed, and opened up the bag, letting out a fuzzy ball of fur. Auril gently picked up the furry little feline, giving it some fresh air. The little kittens' tail swished back and forth wildly, taking in the sights and sounds of the market.

Auril laughed as the little kitty turned in little circles on his hand. It was curious about what all the fuss was about in the market. It sniffed the air, catching a sweet aroma. Auril followed the kittens' nose, finally finding a merchant who sold pet food.

"Good day, sir! May I interest you in some of my potions? Or would your little cat like some pet food for an appetizer?" The merchant said in a heavy English accent.

"Make that more then an appetizer, this guy can eat faster then he can chew. I'll take 10 pet foods and two awakening potions, thanks."

Auril paid for the goods, and then gave his kitten a small chunk from one of the pet foods. It nibbled it down happily, purring contently after finishing its meal. Auril put the kitten back into his back pack and continued scouring for any good deals.

Just as he found a very cheap fire augmented claymore, a voice called from behind him, "Auril! Over here!"

He turned around, spotting his 'girlfriend' Grace and beside her was that crazed huntress Lulaba in the town square. While Grace looked thrilled to see Auril, Lulaba just crossed her arms and stared at the wall beside her. Grace was only one hundred and thirty centimetres tall while Lulaba was one hundred and ninety centimetres tall. They looked like female versions of David and Goliath (even Auril was only one hundred and eighty centimetres). Lulaba would dismiss her height as 'a better vantage point', if she was ever talking at all.

"Hey ya', sweetie. And hello to you, my second favourite psychopath." Grace wrapped herself around Auril's arm while Lulaba continued to stare at the wall. Grace was only sixteen while Auril and Lulaba were both twenty-two. Auril himself was a lord knight, one of the few people who had gone through the reincarnation process. He was actually sixty-eight years old, adding his forty-six years while he was still a regular knight.

They sat together on one of the town squares' benches, talking about gossip and recent events.

Auril spoke first, "You heard about the old man Rephere's daughter, Tiana? She was murdered by an unknown person, leaving no traces what so ever. Even the wound that killed her was patched up."

"Yeah," came Lulaba's emotionless reply.

"Oh…that poor girl, I wonder why anyone would do that to such a thing to someone so young…" Grace loosened her grip on Auril's arm a little, letting blood flow through it normally again. She looked sad and worried, covering her happy little face with a sorrowful mask.

Only those in a warrior guild (the different job guilds in Ro) were imbued with the resurrection imprint. All civilians did not have the luxury of cheating death like the warriors…the little girl wouldn't get a second chance…

Damn, change the subject…don't make lil' Grace cry…Auril thought to himself. "Ah…they'll find the culprit soon enough! The knights of Prontera have a reputation of always getting the bad guys!"

"Really?" Grace looked up at Auril her eyes sparkled with life again, regaining her beauty. Auril swore that Grace was only half her age, maybe it was because she spent too much time in the church when she was still an acolyte. Oh well.

"Humph. Those king-kissing losers always had to hire a group of hunters to help them out every time. Some reputation." The blonde haired huntress replied, still refusing to look at Auril.

"Oh come on, we deserve at least _some_ credit, don't we?"

"The hunters do most of the job."

"But we're the ones who ultimately capture the villain!"

"After the hunters shoot sleep arrows at them."

"But…we're the ones who plan how to capture them!"

"Based on what information the hunters gathered."

"…"

Auril stared at Lulaba for a long moment. Rage filled him whenever he lost. But when had he ever won a quarrel with anyone at all really? And why should he care about the knights? He was a lord knight, no longer a member of the Knight Guild, only serving to protect Rune Midgard.

A small tug on his arm diverted his attention away from the argument. Grace looked up at Auril with pleading eyes. "Please stop fighting, Auril-kun…I don't like people fighting each other…" Eight years old indeed.

Auril had no choice but to drop the subject. He couldn't hurt his "girlfriends'" feelings. He didn't feel like continuing the conversation anyway, so he got up to stretch himself…

_: Chief, I think we have a major problem:_ It was Meth on the Guild Link_: That guy who killed that girl yesterday was me. I had to 'cause she was making too much of a ruckus. The girl the Owl Baron wanted got away. I'll be in hiding for a while, so don't try to find me unless it's really important. I'll give you details about the girl later. Meth out:_

Meth, or Methanax, or whatever his real name for that matter, was the guilds' best assassin; an agent of darkness who can track and pursue anyone without being seen…and strike at them when the time was right…until now it seems.

Auril, Grace and Lulaba all heard Meth. They were all from the same guild, one of the most powerful ones ever known in Rune Midgard. They have faced legions of monsters, hordes of opponents and enemies of all kinds. They had control of all of Prontera's and Geffen's guild castles. The guild was a legend throughout all of Midgard…ever since it was created in Glast Heim, one thousand years ago.

Auril took off his back pack, revealing the unmistakable guild emblem, along with the insignia of the guild master.

It was the emblem of the Abyss Legion.

All members of the Abyss Legion in or around Prontera were alerted immediately. They were stationed in various places to track the girl the Owl Baron wanted so badly. Those inside Prontera were issued shifts to look for her within the city. 

The sub guild, Abyss Well, was also informed. That guild consisted of all magic combatant jobs, namely magicians, wizards, sages and priests. They were on look out for the girl through premonition and magic sense. If someone was powerful enough to defeat Meth, he or she had to have some degree of magic to aid them in battle. Meth was not the kind to be beaten physically. And Abyss Well will be ready if the girl was ever to be found.

Auril listened through the guild link. No signs of the girl yet; maybe she left already. But the search wasn't complete, so no assumptions can be made until then.

Maybe the girl was a lot smarter then they thought; maybe she was hiding in the places the guild had already searched. Auril decided to check it out himself.

"Where're you going Auril?" Grace stuck her head into the guild castle masters room, her long black her dangling close to the floor.

Auril looked up, seeing Grace pop into his room like a mole tunnelling back up to the surface. "Come in Grace." Auril offered, and Grace slipped through the door. "I think I might have found a small flaw in our search plans, so I'm going to check it out myself, just to be sure."

"Bring me with you! I wanna go adventure hunting like we used to! Ever since the last few days, you never let me go anywhere with you when you where out hunting!"

Auril dug his face into his hands. He didn't want Grace to die like how everyone else did in the encounter with the Owl Baron. He knew the girl he was looking for was dangerous, so he didn't let Grace into any of the search parties.

He loved Grace too much, even if she was just a little girl at heart.

"Grace…" Auril started, but how to tell her? She was too naïve to understand love, thinking being a girlfriend was just being the best buddies in life. "Look, I can't have you follow me again. It's too dangerous; I can't risk losing you out there."

"But even if I die, I can be resurrected! I could heal you if you get hurt, I could-"

"GRACE!" Auril shouted at her. "I don't want you to die, that's why I don't want you to come with me. Stay here, or go pray at the church. It's night time anyway, and you should get some sleep."

With that, he left the room, leaving Grace alone in the master room. Grace fell onto the bed and sobbed into the cotton sheets. "But you never think about me…I don't want you to die too…even if you come back…"

A kitten crept close to Grace, purring softly as it leaned on her waist.

Auril walked through the cramped alleys of north-east Prontera. The night was young and he had plenty of time retrace the steps Lulaba took in her shift. It was dark and Auril could hardly see a thing. Luckily, he had his trusty candle with him, and it lit a way for him (No, he's not wearing it on his head). No signs of anyone besides a few tarous…nothing more.

Maybe he was wrong, maybe the girl left Prontera already. Maybe she left long after the guild was set into action. But he had to keep finding her. She was the key to stopping the coming war as Meth mentioned.

Auril didn't want another Thousand-Year-Old War.

A thief bug whizzed past him, disappearing from sight as it turned around a corner. Funny, Auril didn't even notice that narrow alley at first…maybe something's there.

He walked through the alley, squeezing through the narrow space, forcing him to walk sideways. The things he did for the country…

Finally, the alley ended and it opened up to a small space, ringed with houses. A small tower statue stood in the middle of the area, dwarfing the buildings around it. It reminded Auril of the pillars attached outside the Prontera Sanctuary, how it had the same shape, only smaller and had the sculpture of Odin on top of it, with a girl holding onto him…

…A girl?

No doubt about it, the description matched the one Meth gave.

Auril took out his lance. He crept quietly closer to the statue, aiming his lance at the girl, preparing to unleash his spear boomerang…

But he was no assassin, and the girl spotted him after he took two steps toward her. She looked slightly alarmed, but she remained were she was.

Auril held up his lance, locking his eyes onto the girl. He had to be careful not to kill the girl; they needed her alive. Then, he suddenly froze. He couldn't make his arm throw the lance at her. His whole body felt numb, he couldn't jerk forward nor step backward. He felt a wave of guilt as he looked at the girl.

She was the one who gave him the kitten…and she was the one who Auril killed when he went berserk…out of greed.

In the moonlight, tiny sparkles streaked her face.

She was crying.


	8. The One To Save Us All

**The one to save us all…**

Prontera, Rune Midgard Capital, an hour before chapter 6

Alice risked heading out into the open, just so that she could see Jovich and Rephere; how they were doing; if Tiana's death was too much for them. She saw Rephere drinking in the local pub, raving about the cruel life. Jovich sat in her room, crying endlessly into her pillow.

They were beyond hope for recovering. It was all Alice's fault, and she knew it. Guilt struck her like gong, seeing how she had made her friends so sorrowful. It was all her fault…and she didn't have enough courage to meet with them ever again.

She took one last look at Jovich, then jumped down the roof she was on, scrambling back into the alleys. It was all her fault, she should have never gone through that warp portal…she should never have let Little Tails go…

She should never had let her friends die…

A sudden tingling feeling came from behind Alice. Someone was coming! She couldn't be seen, they might recognize her from the Hairdresser shop…

Alice dashed off as fast as she could, finding a place to hide. She ran through the alleys, looking for a tight gap or a box she can hide in. She could sense somebody stalking her, feeling her pursuer rounding corners before she could actually see them.

It was like a sixth sense, like she knew someone was following her instinctively. And Alice has learnt to trust her instincts ever since she was followed. They have always proven themselves to be right every time.

Alice jumped up onto a roof, hopping her pursuer would move on ahead. Alice watched as a monk ran through the alley, making loud footsteps as he passed. That was close, almost too close perhaps.

Alice continued on, finding a safe spot to rest, hopping from roof to roof, She couldn't go back to the church; she would be too far out in the open. In a matter of minutes, her roof leaping took her to the north-eastern side of Prontera. Alice found a tight cluster of buildings, and thought maybe the roofs would be her safe haven for a while.

Alice's thoughts drifted back to what has happened. Tiana died…and Jovich and Rephere would never forgive Alice for letting Tiana die…she lost so many friends already, did she have to lose more? Maybe she couldn't lose anymore. Maybe she couldn't have friends, no matter how hard she tried, because she would always lose them in the end…

Tears streamed down her Alice's eyes, soaking into her shirt. She wiped them away, wishing that she wouldn't cry so much. She wished she could just forget everything and live a life alone, where nothing will come to harm because of her, where no one will ever be sad again because of her.

It was always nice, having friends, getting to know each other, doing things together, but Alice never wanted to lose them…and she didn't know how hard it was to lose your friends, until now. If she knew, then she would never had had made any friends…but it was too late; she has already lost all her friends…Tiana, Jovich, Rephere, all the slaves of the Owl Baron, the Glast Heim inn keeper…

Little Tails…

She couldn't stop crying. The reality of it all was too much to handle. Not a thousand years could break her sadness. She hung onto a statue of the Norse god Odin, starring into the moonlight.

Little Tails was the only one Alice was certain of that was still her friend. If only she could see him one last time. If only he could take away Alice's worries like he always had. Alice wanted to see him one more time before she accepted fate: she had to return to the Owl Baron. She didn't want other people to lose their friends…she didn't want them to go through what she had already gone through…

A small clinking sound caught Alice's attention. She peered down from the statue, seeing a knight with his spear raised at her. She panicked for a moment, then eyes widened as she realized who it was. It was the lord knight that killed the Owl Baron. It was the lord knight that killed Alice.

It was the lord knight Alice gave Little Tails to.

Auril lowered his lance, still not believing what was in plain sight for him to see. The description that Meth gave him matched. The girl who the Owl Baron wanted so badly was her? She couldn't be, no one in their right mind would dare do anything to make the Owl Baron angry, and most certainly anyone who would give up their life for a kitten…

Auril dropped his lance completely, making it land in a heavy thud. His action surprised even himself, and snapped him out of his trance. No, he had to take the girl, selfish or not, it was for the whole of Midgard. What did that compare to a single girl?

The girl dropped down from the statue, landing gracefully on one foot. She straightened up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "A-are you here to take me back? Back to the O-Owl Baron?" She said in a pleading sort of voice.

Auril didn't know what to say to her. The original plan was to knock her unconscious and drag her back to Glast Heim for the Owl Baron to take care of her. Now he wasn't sure. Did she really deserve to go back? Auril had overheard the Owl Baron devising a sinister plan to kill Alice just so that more slaves would work for him…

No, he had to end his dilemma here. He was done everything for the greater good of Midgard, and it shall always be that way.

"Yes, I'm here to take you. We need you to prevent a war from happening, please, we seek you cooperation." Auril said as smoothly as possible.

The little girl nodded slowly, then held her arms out Auril to cuff…not that Auril had any cuffs anyway. "P-please, take me then…but I have one request before I go…"

Auril nodded at the girl, beckoning her to continue.

"I-I've left Little Tails with you, h-haven't I? I-I want to see him again before I go…one last time…please…" She bowed toward Auril, sobbing harder as she did so.

Auril couldn't say anything. His old feeling of guilt returned. The girl knew it was him who killed her…she knew it was he who had her kitten. But she made no indication that she remembered being killed by Auril…that she was sliced in half by him. Auril remembered how Grace locked herself in her room when they went back to the guild castle; how she cried that her boyfriend was a murderer. It took a few days to let the matter pass, but Auril never forgot that day ever since it happened.

Auril looked at the girl, putting her hands back down into place. In all his guilt and dilemmas, he still found heart to smile. "You can certainly see your kitten. It's probably in my room, shredding my bed sheets into shreds again. And I don't have to cuff you either."

The girls' face lightened up, replacing her sadness with the joy of god in heart. She recovered from her bow, wiping her tears from her face again…this time with a smile. She was so much like Grace…they were both so easily delighted; forgetting everything for a while.

"What's your name anyway, lil' ma'am?"

"M-me? I'm Alice…"

"And I'm Aurility, though all my friends call me Auril," he actually found it comforting to be able to talk to Alice…to be friends rather then enemies…

But it wouldn't matter; Auril won't be seeing her much longer anyway…

Auril stepped into the master room, finding the place just as he left it. Grace was on the bed, apparently asleep. The kitten, which Alice called Little Tails, was wide awake, tearing up the bed sheets as Auril suspected.

Alice ran immediately to Little Tails, picking him up and putting her face into it soft fur. She cried tears of joy as Little Tails' tail swished wildly back and forth.

Two friends are once again rejoined together, thought Auril to himself. He opened up the Guild Link again, ordering everyone to return. There was no point looking for Alice if she was already found, was there?

Auril took off his armour, replacing it with a military style robe instead. He put back his lance and claymore in the cupboard, jamming his greaves in for a pair of sandals. Just as he finished, Grace began to stir from the growing commotion in the room. She rubbed her eyes, squinting around the room in the candle light.

"Auril…?" Grace began. "Auril, are you back?" 

Auril walked up to her, rubbing her hair when he got close enough. "Yes, I'm back."

"Auril…" Grace began to sob steadily, "I-I had a n-nightmare…that y-you got killed when l-looking for t-that girl the g-guild was looking for…I-I was so s-scared…I t-thought that I l-lost you f-forever…I…I-I didn't…"

Auril held Grace closer to him. They both were sitting on the bed, holding each other like all romancers do…in the moonlight and in the sorrow…

"But I'm here Grace, living and holding you. Isn't that enough proof I'm here?" Auril replied smoothly.

"Mm…" Grace replied softly, "But, if you're back, then did you get that girl?"

Auril looked at Alice, seeing she was playing with Little Tails, "Yes, I did get. I'm doing her a favour…just before she goes."

Grace looked up, seeing a pale young girl stroking Auril's kitten gently. She gasped as she recognised who she was…it was the girl back in Glast Heim castle that Auril killed so brutally…

Grace held onto Auril's arm, not believing what she saw too. It wasn't possible, only the warrior jobs had the luxury of resurrection…but Auril had figured it out already…the Owl Baron could be revived, so why can't his minions?

Still, Grace held onto Auril's arm tighter, "W-why, why is she the one? I you killed- I mean I thought she died…? Why does the Owl Baron want her? Why is she alive…?"

Auril didn't answer her questions. He was too mentally exhausted to do anything. He leaned his head onto Grace, dozing off a little. Grace stopped asking her questions completely, accepting the fact that her boyfriend had a rough night and deserved some rest.

From a distance, Alice watched intently as the two lovebirds cuddled each other through the night.

The guild was assembled in the operations room, waiting for Auril to debrief them on what happened yesterday.

Lulaba sighed as she leaned on the wall. Auril was late again. He was never on time for any of the guild meetings, saying he was 'busy'. Busy with Grace, that's what, Lulaba thought to herself, men.

Everyone else was present; Meth the assassin, Chan the monk, Valianse the hunter, Turamii the other assassin, Zennon the priest, Taso the rogue, Kelly the blacksmith and a bunch of others Lulaba couldn't be bothered to think about.

Taso lost his patience and decided to leave without the debriefing, but right on queue, Auril stepped inside with Grace and another girl.

"Sorry I'm late guys." Auril apologised sincerely.

"Again," Turamii complained.

Auril ignored him, going straight to the point, "Alrighty, ladies and gents, after a few days of searching, we have located and captured the girl the Owl Baron wanted, Alice. According to original plans, we are supposed to bring her to Glast Heim for the Owl Baron to slowly devour her, or risk a war on Midgard. That was, however, the old plan."

Everyone in the room suddenly became more intent.

"I have a new plan. A much worse solution, but one that may end the reign of the Owl Baron and Dark Lord completely. I purpose we wage the war against them, instead of idly sitting here, waiting endlessly for an unforeseen attack on the cities. We should strike first, not like how the previous rulers Glast Heim let their enemies come to them. The results were horrific, as we all know, and many innocent lives were killed or enslaved, never seeing the lights of day again. The first Abyss Legion may have failed to defend Glast Heim, but the second Abyss Legion managed to drive out the Titans out of this world, making the Dark Lord afraid, making him fear us for a change. We could do the same; I've already spoken to Abyss Well about this earlier this morning. They've helped devise a plan that would permanently put Glast Heim in a barrier, letting only some people with the right spell matrix," what ever that meant, Auril thought to himself, "would be able to pass through it. Anyone else would just bounce off the shield. I've spoken to King Tristan III as well, he believed in us that it will work, and his majesty has gathered as many worthy warriors like ourselves as possible to aid us." Auril Caught his breath for a second then continued. "Any questions?"

Valianse spoke "Yes. If most of the mission has to do with spell craft, then why not just let the Abyss Well do it?"

Damn, Auril cursed himself for missing out that point. "There's one problem: Glast Heim is protected by one of the greatest magic items ever known to Rune Midgard; the Emperium. Through a bit of research, it was discovered that Glast Heim was protected by the rare crystal, much like our own, only it is much bigger, able to repel magic forces on a city-wide scale. That's where we come in. We must locate the Emperium and destroy it. Understood?"

Meth spoke up this time "So, we storm into the city, find whatever it is we are looking for, destroy the oversized bulk of crystal and get the wiz's to do the rest. Simple as that."

Auril nodded in Meth's direction. Looked like he didn't need a lengthy speech after all.

He chanced a glimpse of Alice's face. She was shocked at what Auril was going to do. She was beyond dismay, eyes filling up with fear and disbelief as she heard the ambitious plan. 'It's not going to work' was written all over her face.

Auril patted her shoulder, whispering to her, "Don't worry, it'll work."

Alice didn't say anything, just looked down at the floor, shaking her head disbelievingly.

"I won't let you take all the glory either; I'm going to be the one to save Midgard, not you."

These last words surprised Alice the most. She never thought of it that way, she never thought her actions were for glory or for fame. She just didn't want anyone to be hurt…

But Auril just smiled, smiled as he smiled fearlessly in the face of death…but what was death to him in this world? If he died, he could be resurrected. Big deal.

He didn't know it would be the last mission the Abyss Legion would ever do.

An Injustice listens to the conversation, hurrying back to its master to report what it just heard.


	9. Surprise Attack

**Surprise Attack…**

Glast Plains, Rune Midgard Border.

"AUSURA STRIKE!"

The Earth Petite's head blew open instantaneously, covering Chan in a slick red coating.

"Show off," Lulaba chided.

Chan sat down, panting heavily. "Heh, look who's talking! You've always been doing stunts nobody would ever dream about!"

Lulaba has always been known to be doing insane moves in the midst of battle. Her last act was with the Owl Baron, discarding her bow and charging straight at one of the Owl Dukes with a dagger. Everyone knew it was crazy for a hunter to even think of doing such a thing, except for Lulaba.

The duo was only a hundred metres from the Glast Heim east gate. "Okay, we'll stop here," Lulaba said to Chan. The monk nodded as he sat on the ground, meditating solemnly.

Lulaba straightened to her full height, looking out for anyone that might impede their progress. So far so good, nobody in sight.

: _Auril, we've cleared the area. Bring in Abyss Well._ : A feeling of agreement came in through the Guild Link.

A tingling feeling came around Lulaba's back. She spun around…nothing. But she had trusted her feelings more then once.

She whistled to her falcon, watching the world through its eyes. The sensation of flying filled her as Lulaba shared her falcon's vision. Her sense of sight was magnified brilliantly, revealing more detail then her own eyes could. The falcon scanned the land below from the air, detecting every tremble and shift in the landscape.

Then, it came to the wall of Glast Heim…a slight movement in the shadows. The falcon's vision became even keener as Lulaba fed mana into to her companion. The dark image suddenly formed into the shape of a Gargoyle, already drawing an arrow in its bow.

Everything happened in a split second. Lulaba's vision returned to her own eyes. She drew an arrow with a quick and trained hand, aimed it at the Gargoyle, and felt the familiar twang as she let an arrow fly to its mark.

It was a dead bull's-eye.

Her vision lapsed back into her falcon, confirming that the Gargoyle was shot. Lulaba saw the gruesome picture of an arrow protruding from the front and the back of the Gargoyle's head. Black blood seeped through the wall as the bloody corpse lay motionlessly on the ground.

"Hey, what happened? I heard you fire an arrow." Chan asked as he roused from his meditation.

"_You_ are supposed to be meditating," Lulaba scowled.

"Humph, fine. Don't tell me then, I don't wanna know anyway." Chan closed his eyes again, looking calm and relaxed once again.

Lulaba checked the area one last time, then recalled her falcon. The great bird soared gracefully onto the huntress's shoulders. Lulaba rewarded it with a few pieces of Tarou meat she had in her pouch, and the flacon nibbled gluttonously on them.

"Pig," Lulaba chided.

The falcon nipped her ears with a bit more force then it usually did, as if it knew what she was saying.

Ten minutes later, two wizards and a sage joined Lulaba and Chan. They had cuts and slash marks and holes in their clothing, but no wounds present beneath them.

"You're late," Lulaba complained.

"Sorry, we ran into some trouble," one of the wizards replied. They went to work immediately.

"Alright," the sage said, flipping through an old book, "according to the Tomb of Ancient Rune, to seal an area, we need to concentrate our magic on a strong object, preferably an obelisk or a wall. We'll carve a magic imprint into it and then we'll wait for the Shield Team to do the rest. You've already memorized the spell, so I won't repeat how it's done. After we have confirmation that all imprints are in place, Abyss Legion will invade the city and destroy the Emperium. The Shield Team will activate the imprints once the Emperium is eliminated, making the desired force field. Any questions? Good. Let's move on."

The wizards nodded in unison, following the sage to specific spots of the city. Lulaba and Chan covered their rear, looking out for any wild monsters or enemies coming from Glast Heim itself.

A fancy display of lights sparked off as the first imprint took shape. Lulaba became gradually uneasy. The magic show was like a signal flare, revealing their position entirely to anything close enough to see it.

Chan whistled as the trio of spell crafters made a circle of light heavily decorated with patterns and lines within it. Then, in a second, the Circle vanished.

"Huh? What happened?" Chan asked in concern.

"Don't be an idiot. We don't want anyone to break the spell, so we aren't going to let the fireworks continue. It'll be exactly like screaming, 'Hey! I just broke into your house!' The point is not to be obvious."

Chan was hurt by the Sage's high-strung nature, but he made no motion to betray his feelings.

Lulaba peered around, only glancing at the three spell casters' work for a second. She was too edgy now to appreciate its beauty. She could hear small shuffling sounds all around them. Was the unseen foe planning a surprise attack? Or was it simply walking past them, not noticing their position?

No, it can't be. The magic spell they cast was far too obvious to be ignored at this distance.

Lulaba let her falcon soar into the air once more, surveying the area from the sky again. What she saw wasn't the least bit comforting.

: _Auril, we've got a problem._ :

The fifty Raydric and Raydric archers draw closer as Lulaba watched them through her falcon's eyes. She returned her vision to her own eyes, nudging Chan with an elbow.

"Chan, get ready."

"Huh?"

Before Chan could dwell deeper in the subject, ten Raydrics sprung from the bushes, brandishing their swords at the group of warriors.

Lulaba already had her bow out, five arrows drawn. She let lose the shower of arrows, every single one of them hitting their mark. Two Raydrics fell to the ground, their armour shells falling with a loud '_thump_!'

Chan got back his bearings, charging at the approaching attackers, denting armour with his fists. One Raydric swung its sword at him violently, but Chan caught the sword mid-swing and crushed it into half with his bare hand. He used his other hand to force one of the spirit spheres around him into the Raydric's armour. The Raydric exploded as a psychic wave blasted through it, shooting scrap metal all around the grassy lands.

The two wizards cast the Storm Gust spell and Lord of Vermillion spells into the fray, careful not to hit Lulaba or Chan. The Raydric Archers in the back fired their last arrow before being blown into bits by the wizards' onslaught. Two arrows flew in the direction of Lulaba, heading straight for her head.

The sage saw this coming, and cast his Hocus Pocus spell. A protective barrier surrounded Lulaba as the sage let loose a Kyrie Eleison blessing.

Lulaba was surprised at her own carelessness. She could have easily gotten killed just now, if she hadn't been saved by the sage. But there was no time to thank him. Another Raydric charged at her, swinging its sword with the strength of a bull. Even with the Kyrie Eleison, Lulaba took no chances. She whacked the Raydric with her bow, flinching it just long enough for her to strafe two arrows into its chest at point-blank range.

Another Raydric fell as Chan let loose a mad but controlled flurry of blows into it. The wizards were working up their spells like their pants were on fire. They recited spells so quickly that it all sounded like a blur of noises. Fire, ice and lightning filled the field as their spells rampaged the Raydrics.

Only two Raydrics were left after what seemed like an eternity. Chan was filled with gashes and cuts while Lulaba only had a small bruise from hitting the Raydric with her bow. The wizards and sage was left unscratched.

The sage dispatched the Raydric with an Earth Spike and Lulaba's falcon had a taste of steel as it struck the last one with its beak and talons.

Just as they surveyed the damage, Auril rode on his peco peco, gazing at the destruction caused. "Damn, looks like I missed all the action."

"You're late too," Lulaba said disapprovingly.

Auril didn't bother to answer, so he went straight to the point. "Are preparations here done? The volunteers the King sent are very eager to storm the place ya' know."

Humph, like Lulaba cared the a bit. She wanted to go hunt that girl, the Moonlight Flower, not storm the city of some of the most powerful creatures in Midgard.

Auril continued to drone on, "Alice will be here too, she's supposed to lead us to possible locations where the Emperium may be kept. In any case, hurry up and get the job done here, the Abyss Well guild leader already informed me that the rest of the teams have set up the imprints on the rest of the walls." With that, Auril nudged his Peco Peco around, riding back to Geffen.

Lulaba was still a little suspicious of what just happened. Raydrics don't just pop out whenever they liked. They were manipulated by a stronger force, doing their bidding to the letter, like marionettes…

…Like they were ordered to do so.

Sudden realisation came to Lulaba. This attack was intentional, and such a large group of enemies gathered together to attack them was no coincidence.

Lulaba ignored Chan's request to lend him a few potions. She concentrated hard, contacting Auril again.

: _Auril, we have another problem._ :

Up in the sky, Lulaba's falcon soared in the air, looking for any prey it could catch. It spotted another moving object on the wall. It looked like it was peering over it, looking at the spot where the falcon's master was standing.

The falcon swooped down for a closer look, and found that it was what its master called an 'Injustice'. Just as it was going to report it to its master, the Injustice disappeared.


	10. The Coming Storm

**The Coming Storm…**

Glast Plains, Glast Heim west border, An hour after Chapter 8

Alice followed Grace through the crowd.

It was the largest swarm of humans Alice has ever seen, so many people were gathered in one place at the same time. People chatted about their lives and showed of their equipments. Some even waved at her and Grace's direction. Grace cheerfully waved back while Alice kept her head low, waving her hand slightly.

"Grace! Over here!" someone called from behind a wall of people.

"Valentine!" Grace raced ahead into the crowd, leaving Alice to chase after her. Alice followed her until she jumped into a wizard's arms.

"Hey ya', long time no see!" Valentine said joyfully as Grace hugged him tightly.

Alice watched the two curiously. They were engaged in a conversation about how much they've missed ever since they parted. They held hands together as the long lost friends walked together towards Glast Heim with the rest of the crowd, Alice scurry behind them.

"Has Auril been treating you right? He's always a jerk when it came to girls," Valentine said casually.

"He's alright, I guess, he keeps his promises to me at least…" Grace replied, "He went to my priest-ship ceremony at least…"

"Ah, I know it's a little late, but I'm sorry I couldn't make it back then. Abyss Well had a few tasks for me to do then. So," He looked behind, motioning to Alice, "care to introduce your new friend to me?"

Alice stepped back from Valentine. She didn't know what to say to him, much less who he even was. Alice just kept her head down, daring not to look at him.

"Her name is Alice, she's a little shy, so she doesn't talk or do much. Alice! C'mon over!" Grace waved toward Alice, beckoning her to come forward. 

Alice hesitated at first, taking a few tentative steps toward Valentine. Grace pulled her arm to hasten her, and soon enough, Alice was standing only a few inches away from the wizard.

"So, you're Alice, the girl the Owl Baron wanted? I've heard a lot about…"

Grace pulled Valentine's ear down to her height. "Don't talk about it!" Grace whispered hoarsely into his ear. "It's a really touchy subject for her, so don't even try to ask!"

Rubbing his ear, Valentine nodded to Alice. "Sorry about that, I didn't know that you…"

Grace glared at Valentine with an angry look.

"Ah…I meant to say that I…think you have very lovely…" Valentine chanced a look at Alice's chest…

…and received a foot stomping from Grace.

Alice blinked as the Grace and Valentine started arguing. Why did friends have to do that? They were happy a minute ago, and now they're having a war of their own. This was so confusing…Alice thought friends were supposed to make you feel better, not brawl with you.

The duo turned their backs on each other, arms crossed and glaring at each other from the corner of their eyes.

"Pervert."

"Sissy."

"Humph!" they said in unison.

"C'mon Alice, we'll go first," Grace mentioned for Alice to follow her, leaving Valentine to disappear into the crowd again.

Auril looked at the army of volunteers given to him by the King. It was amazing; every job was present, from super novices to gypsies, swordsmen to paladins. Even the King's own General Managers (GMs) were present to direct and organize the crowd.

Auril had never asked so much from the King, only assistance.

Ah, well, as long as Auril got what he wanted, he was satisfied. He scrutinized his fellow followers, watching them all chat and prepare for the bloody battle ahead. They were so relaxed, but all of them were more then ready to attack.

Then, he spotted Grace and Alice running up to him. Grace held Alice's hand, running in his direction. Auril's mood relaxed the moment he saw them. Grace hugged him, Auril returning the greeting with a pat on the head. Alice stood at a distance, watching with that sad expression of hers.

"It's good to see ya' again, Grace," Auril said.

"You always say that," Grace complained, still hugging Auril.

"Ah, Alice, I've been waiting for you too," Grace spun her head around, body still attached to Auril. She nodded to Alice once, beckoning her forward.

Alice stepped toward Auril, head still hanging low.

"We'll be going in soon, are you sure you're okay?"

"I-I'm fine…thank you…"

"Alright then, I'll announce our entry now," Auril peered to the sky, "and it looks like a storm is coming…"

Alice looked up as well. It was true, dark clouds were rapidly scudding the sky, blocking out the sunlight. But something didn't feel right…it felt as if the clouds were gathered by magic…

…very powerful magic…

Alice kept it to herself, not wanting to mistaken it for nervousness.

Auril stepped forward, taking a deep breath. "Alright, soldiers! We are going to begin the invasion in a matter of time! Odin Legion, you'll be hunting for the Emperium in the castle! Aubis Legion, you'll be searching for it in the Knight Chivalry area! Zeus Legion! You'll be looking in the sewers and caves! And Abyss Legion, we'll be searching the Church! No questions? Then move out!"

A loud clamour of battle cries broke out as the warriors marched into Glast Heim. It has begun. The siege for Glast Heim began.

"Alright, Alice, you're going with that wizard, his name is Valentine. He's from Abyss Well and he'll be leading the Odin Legion. You know a lot about the castle, so you'll be most useful if you stick to them, okay?" Alice nodded, looking uneasily at Valentine. What could he have done to make the happy-go-lucky Grace so angry?

Auril ran off with Grace, leaving Alice to Valentine. Valentine looked at Alice with a small scowl, muttering to himself, "…too flat…"

"Pardon me?" Alice asked politely, but softly.

"Uh, no, it's nothing." Valentine sighed as he walked towards the Odin Legion. "This way, Alice."

The castle doors opened, revealing the dusty floor Alice always used to sweep. Memories flowed back into her, the first time she found Little Tails, the countless times the humans tried to attack her, the pain and agony every time the Owl Baron found a spot she missed…

She didn't like coming back; it was all too painful to bear. She remembered the first time she met Auril…how she gave away Little Tails…how her sadness consumed her into a state of oblivion…

Valentine put his hand on Alice's shoulder. "Okay, Alice, where do you think we should start looking first?"

Alice's thoughts returned to the current situation. She recalled every room there was in the castle. The Library was inappropriate, books and book cases were constantly being knocked down, revealing no secret chamber behind the walls. The guest room had rooms surrounding it, leaving no room to put a secret chamber. The prison, Alice last remembered, were full of prison cells, and in the torture chamber, there were doors leading to a place Alice has never been before…

That was where they should start.

"There are a few doors in the castle's prison. They're in the torture chamber area…"

"Alright then. Main group! We'll be in the Prisons! The rest of you, search this floor! I want every matt and brick lifted, every single one them, clear?" Valentine bellowed.

"Yes sir!" Odin Legion bellowed back. They scurried off in different directions, scouring the place for the hidden room to the Emperium.

Alice led the main group in the general direction of the prisons. Memories of past events flooded her mind…the priest that opened Alice's way to freedom, the place where countless of her friends died in the hands of the humans…

A Rideword came around the corner, meeting a group of fifty humans, staring at it with angry eyes. The Rideword lunged at the crowd, teeth bared at them. But it came to a sudden halt when it saw Alice.

'He still recognises me…' Alice thought to herself.

An assassin in the crowd lunged at the Rideword, slashing it into half with a well aimed Jamadhar. The Rideworm fell to the floor, pages fluttering down slowly, its cover landing in a heap.

"NO!" Alice screamed. She ran to the Rideworm, picking up the slain book in her hands. Al De Santra…the Rideworm carrying the ancient past of Al De Baran…Alice has read it a few times, and the Rideworm was very helpful in the library…it was one of he closest friends before Little Tails came into her life…

Alice fell to the floor, crying for her friend. She held the Rideworm's cover tight, never accepting what was done…the people who were helping her…killed her friend…

Valentine came up to her, ignoring her cries, she lifted her face up, revealing her tears to him…

SLAP!

Alice felt a sharp pain piercing her cheek. She forgot about the Rideword for that moment, feeling only pain and shock. Tears continued to stream down her face, for what reason, Alice forgot why.

"Alice! Get a grip on yourself! It's only a Rideword! There's nothing to cry about!"

Alice kept a shocked expression on her face. Her eyes were blank, her body numb. She dropped the Rideword unknowingly, only aware of her own thoughts now. 'I-I'm crying…why am I crying? Did…did I lose another friend...? No…please, no more…'

Valentine pulled her up to her feet. She hung motionlessly, supported only by Valentine's hands. Her head drooped to one side, still in a state of shock. She was carried by a blacksmith in the group, dragging her along in his cart.

"C'mon," Valentine called. "We'll find the Emperium ourselves."

They entered a door leading to the lower chambers. It must be the prison. All the spell casters lit up the passage with mage lights, illuminating the place with a strange orange glow. Valentine took the lead, exiting the passage to find a small flight of stairs…and below waited…

"The Owl Baron…!" Valentine cursed under his breath.

"Welcome to my castle, dear humans. You'll find your stay tantalizingly…agonizing. Please relish your last moments of life…as we will be dispatching you soon."

An army of Injustices marched forward. Their bodies had steel spikes protruding from their arms, legs and shoulders, as if someone had forcefully impaled the spikes in. Their arms and legs also had manacles, chains rattling as they advanced forward. Their eyes…or rather, eye sockets were dripping with blood. Some had removed the eyes, leaving a red, hollow space in their faces.

"We already know of your invasion, petty humans." The Owl Baron continued. "One of my slaves reported it…and we know you're trying to lock us up. Sadly, we'll never let you destroy the Emperium. And when I say we," The injustices' palms shot out two new spikes from either of their hands. "I mean, _they_."

The Owl Baron disappeared in a flash, leaving the Injustices to continue the march forward, towards the bloody fate awaiting them.

"Don't just stand there! Everyone attack!" Valentine bellowed.

The brave men and women charged at the wall of foes. A knight met his opponents first, swinging his broadsword at the injustices wildly. Three caught the blade on their shoulders, only to be saved from decapitation by the spikes protruding out of them. They flew back, hitting the Injustices behind them, creating a domino effect.

The knight's victory was short lived. An Injustice thrust its spikes into the Knight's chest. The knight screamed in pain as an assassin hacked away the Injustice, spewing blood onto the cold prison floor. The knight lay motionless as the assassin pulled the spike out of his body.

The blacksmith carrying Alice took her off his cart, putting him in a safe corner. He bellowed a battle cry, charging into fray. Hacking away furiously at the Injustices, ten were severed by his axe, staining blood and flesh onto it. One Injustice managed to get behind him, and killed him instantly with a spike through his head. Bits of the blacksmith's brain joined the Injustices; the rest of his body joined them shortly.

Valentine blasted the Injustices at the back with his Lord of Vermillion spell. Lightning ripped open the Injustices like a balloon, leaving a bloody patch of corpses behind.

This wasn't good, the Injustices kept coming, and almost three quarters of his soldiers where dead. Only a hand full of knights and assassins were fighting at the front line. Everyone else was shooting arrows and mana at the Injustices. If they managed to defeat the melee warriors, then they were done for.

Valentine created an ice wall, blocking the Injustice's path. "Fall back!" He shouted. And everyone ran back to the passage way…

…only to find it was blocked.

An energy field surrounded the entrance, glowing an ugly red…

Valentine couldn't dispel it. It was magic far greater then he could cast in an instant. The Owl Baron must have set up a trap here…it was impossible to make that barrier in an instant.

Valentine turned around again. The Injustices have broken his ice wall, and were closing in fast. They trampled over the dead emotionlessly, mouths hanging hungrily in the Odin Legion's direction.

"If it's a fight to the death you want, then a fight to the death it is," Valentine muttered to himself. "Everyone! ATTACK!"

Valentine mumbled his spells in utter concentration. He was one of Abyss Well's most valued wizards for one special ability; he could cast two spells at once.

His first spell flung twenty Injustices to the ceiling, spikes of earth protruding from the ground. He finished them off with his second spell, summoning his Lord of Vermillion again.

Flesh and bone rained down on the Injustices, but they didn't even seem bothered by their comrades' deaths. They marched on, slaying the last of the melee fighters, advancing toward Valentine and the others.

"Shoot…" Valentine whispered to himself. The Injustices were only ten metres away from him. Not a shower of arrows, not a bombardment of elements, not the second strongest Abyss Well wizard could hold them off. Valentine made a last ditch effort, creating fire walls to block their path. It was useless. The Injustices marched through the wall, feeling as if there were no pain.

The first Injustice cornered a hunter into a wall. The hunter desperately shot arrows into its chest, but never stopped its assault once. It pulled out the hunter's eyes, letting him wither to the ground in pain. Then, it drew out its spikes again, continuously adding holes into the hunter's head. His tongue, eyes and ears lay on the floor, joining the bloody mess.

The rest of the Odin Legion met the same fate as him.

Only Valentine was left now, desperately casting Frost Novas and Jupitel thunders in every direction. His last stand proved futile as the injustices broke out of their icy shell, still marching toward the wizard.

'Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn…' Valentine thought to himself. Just as he raised his hand, preparing to launch another Frost Nova, an Injustice cut it off for him. His arm was a bloody stump, blood flowing out furiously. But he wasn't beaten yet, he charged his other spell, the Jupitel Thunder, at the Injustice in revenge, blasting open its chest, spilling flesh and organs onto valentine. He smiled as he let the blood drip down his face. He was surrounded, and there wasn't a hope for him left.

The Injustices nearest him sliced at his body, severing his limbs off, only cutting off tearing off his head when there was no other part of his body to remove…

Alice sat at her corner, crying in fear that she would be killed again…she didn't like the pain…she didn't like what the Injustices did to her when she was being tortured…they didn't care if she died, she could be resurrected. She didn't like dying at all…

The Injustices suddenly stopped, parting a small space around Alice. Then, in a flash, the Owl Baron appeared before her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the slave that escaped," the Owl Baron sneered.

Alice felt fear course through her veins, watching as her old master stared down at her.

"You've been a naughty little girl, Alice, and naughty girls get punished, you know. Take her to the torture chamber."

Two Injustices came forward, pulling Alice up. Alice cried for help, kicking and wrestling the two Injustices. The two Injustices had a hard time holding her down, but the Owl Baron waved his wing once, and Alice froze still, unable to move or speak.

"As I said, naughty girls get punished. Give her the 'Eternal Pain' treatment. If she dies, resurrect her. Another thousand years of torture shall satisfy me. And you," the Owl Baron said to Alice, "Will pay for your betrayal to me."

The Injustice dragged her off, throwing her into one of the torture chambers.

One of the robotic Alice's came in, sweeping the mess that was made. She could hear screaming from one of the cells, but ignored it. Her function was to clean up Glast Heim, and that is what she will do.

Outside, the storm cloud began to rain…


	11. The Storm Continues

**The Storm Continues…**

Glast Heim Abbey, Glast Heim, just after Chapter 9

Auril lifted another boulder, hoping to find a secret chamber of some sort. Nothing.

Auril let go of the boulder, slamming the thousand pound rock back onto the ground. It's been a full hour, and still no sign of the Emperium room.

"Meth, you found anything?" Auril called out. "Nothing either," Meth called from behind him. Surprised, Auril turned around, watching Meth uncloak from the wall.

"You know I hate that," Auril said sourly.

Meth didn't say anything, but Auril could see his eyes twinkling in mischief. Meth melted back into the shadows, returning to his tasks.

Auril sighed, there hasn't been as much resistance as he expected. He has only met an Evil Druid and a Ghoul so far…Maybe it was because there were much more people than he expected…

"Auril! I think I found something!"

It was one of the voluntary hunters. She looked very young, reminding Auril of Lulaba…

She ran up to Auril, panting heavily. She took in a few more breaths, continuing, "I found…huff…I found a…huff…a door leading below…huff…looks like…huff…a churchyard…huff…"

At last, progress. "Well done, Clover. We'll go check it out. Do me a favour later and find the other volunteers. Saddle up and move into the churchyard you found. Right now, though, I need you to show me the place."

At the same time, Auril contacted the rest of his guild. : Abyss Legion, we've found a possible location where the Emperium is held. It is at approximately one hundred metres north-east of the Entrance, up a flight of stairs. I'm approaching the area now; rally any volunteers you find…:

"Argh!" Clover screamed. An Evil Druid appeared out of no where, slamming her to the ground with its book. Clover rolled back up, drawing an arrow, shooting the Evil Druid's shoulder. "Shoot…I missed its head…"

But the Evil Druid wasn't about to be target practice. It mouthed a spell, ripping bits of Clover's skin off her leg and replacing onto the Evil Druid's wound. Clover screamed in pain, clutching her leg.

Enough was enough; Auril drew his claymore, igniting it with a brilliant aura. He charged at the Evil druid, parrying its book out of the way. He thrust the blade into its stomach, cutting it up till where its head ended. The Evil Druid slumped to the ground, vanishing into dust, leaving behind its clothes and book to litter the floor.

Clover was still on the ground, clutching her wound. Auril walked up to her, inspecting the wound. "It's not a flesh wound, you should be ok. Here," he handed her a bottle of white potion. "This should help."

"Thanks…" Clover said softly, as she poured the liquid onto her wound. The wound magically closed itself, leaving no evidence of it ever being inflicted. She drank the rest of the potion, feeling revitalized again. "Ah, that felt good! This is the best potion I've ever tasted! Where'd you get it?"

"An alchemist friend of mine made it for me, he's one of best potion makers I have ever seen," Auril replied. She was definitely nothing like Lulaba, only her appearance. Lulaba would never have missed that shot just now. And her personality was so active…definitely not Lulaba.

Clover got up, stretching herself. Then, she turned to Auril, "That was amazing, taking out that Evil Druid in just one attack! What was that thing that made your blade so shiny? How'd you get so much strength? Ooh and that Evil Druid's book is still intact!" Clover ran up to the book, picking it up. "I'll take it if you don't want it!"

"Well, I'm not really into reading anyway…" Auril replied, "Go ahead, and take it." She seemed as friendly as Grace though…

"Thanks!" Clover said, stuffing the book into her bag. "Alright, let's get back to finding that Emperium!" And she ran off in the direction of the Churchyard.

Auril sighed, chasing after her. She felt more and more like Grace every passing minute. Auril's heart started aching for Grace, but he shook it off. He shouldn't be distracted in a mission. He should concentrate, no matter what…

"Here it is! Here it is!" Clover squealed. Auril looked at the passage. It was big enough for three people to move in at once. It was hidden in the shadows, so only people with sharp eyes could have spotted it. He didn't know what was below, and he wasn't taking his chances.

"Alright, Clover, you go find the others. I'll wait here till there are a large number of people gathered." With that, Clover saluted Auril in an imitation of the Knight's Salutation and ran off in the opposite direction.

Auril sat down, taking in a deep sigh. He was alone again, delving in his thoughts. He wondered how Grace was doing, was she okay? Auril made a secure Link with Grace,  
: Grace, are you alright:

A small surge of amusement swept over Auril, and then Grace's unmistakable voice entered his mind. : Aw, you think of me too much! Don't worry; I could take care of myself. And if I run into trouble I could always teleport away. Relax! I heard on the guild link too; you've finally found something:

: Actually, it was a huntress, Clover, who found it. The passage leads to the lower part of the church. I haven't seen it myself, but I'm waiting for enough people to accompany me down. It might be dangerous. :

: Hehe, are you scared? Don't worry, I'm almost there! I'm walking with Lulaba and Meth, though he's hidden himself again. And there're a few other volunteers around me too. Gee, I wish I wasn't so short:

Auril laughed to himself, and then opened up the Link again. : All right, sweetheart, take care. :

: You too! See ya':

Despite the invasion and casualties so far, everything seemed as it always has been. Auril sat with his back to the wall, relaxing more easily and forgetting about the invasion for once…

Glast Heim Chivalry, Glast Heim, Just After Chapter 9…

Zephyrus blasted another Khalitzburg with a bombardment of napalm vulcans. There were so many of them, it was lucky he had the Zeus Legion with him. Zephyrus didn't have to face them alone.

"Kaylah! Get that Khalitzburg over there! Valianse! Strafe those two away from that Super Novice!" Zephyrus had just enough time to duck as a Khalitzburg attempted to decapitate him. Zephyrus struck back with a Magic Crasher, blasting it back to hell.

'Another five-hundred to go…' Zephyrus thought to himself. He chanted a blur of spells and set them loose on the Khalitzburgs swarming them. 'Make that four-hundred and eighty…' Another twenty Khalitzburgs fell pray to Zephyrus's Meteor Storm.

Kaylah dragged the injured super novice out of the fray, healing its wounds as Valianse strafed another four arrows at the Khalitzburgs. "He's alright, just slightly dazed," Kaylah reported, "A few cuts and that's it. He'll be ready for battle soon…"

Another Khalitzburg swung it's sword at Kaylah, stopped midway by a protective barrier. Valianse shot twenty arrows into its armour before it collapsed. "Damn, these things are strong…I wish Lulaba or Auril were here…" But his whining ended when a second Khalitzburg tried to sever his arm, only to be rewarded with twenty silver arrows impaled into its armour.

Zephyrus continued casting his spells non-stop. He may have control of the situation now, but he could feel that he was over working himself, and his mana was rapidly decreasing…

Another Khalitzburg met its fate as Zephyrus loaded another Vulcan into the undead's armour. It shattered into bits, joining the many bones of the other fallen Khalitzburgs.

Kaylah was rapidly healing the rest of the Zeus Legion. An alchemist was saved from being slashed into half when Kaylah put a protective barrier around him. His moral recovered, the alchemist hacked at the Khalitzburgs with manic speed. A rogue backstabbed the Khalitzburgs, breaking their spine and ending their undeath. Another Khalitzburg returned the favour by slashing a deep wound into his chest, letting blood flow out like a waterfall, leaving a pool of red on the dark, cold floor. Kaylah saw this immediately and knocked back the Khalitzburg with a Magnus Exorcismus, banishing it and a few of its companions back to the underworld. She tended to the rogue's wounds immediately after that, letting him return to the battle.

Everything was working well with Kaylah around. They could repel the Khalitzburgs if this was kept up. But Zephyrus knew better. A trained eye told him Kaylah was near her breaking point, she was almost exhausted to her limit.

Another Khalitzburg's armour was flayed apart as Zephyrus invoked it with a Jupitel Thunder. 'Two-hundred and eighteen left…' he thought to himself. Another one exploded suddenly as it stepped onto Zephyrus's Fire Pillar trap.

"Kaylah, I need another buff!" Zephyrus called out, just in time to feel Kaylah's Magnificat spell take effect on him. Another three Napalm Vulcans and the three Khalitzburgs flanking him perished.

Soon, all that was left was twelve Khalitzburgs. Zephyrus spawned mana into his hand, about to cast another barrage of Vulcans at them when nothing happened.

"Damn, I'm out of mana…" he said to himself, finally realising how tired he was.

"I'm out of arrows too," Valianse said, releasing his last arrow into a Khalitzburg. His falcon finished the rest, tearing into its helmet, decapitating its skull from its spine.

Kaylah slumped to the floor. "I…I'm too…tired…can't…even…stand up…" she stuttered through her panting. Everyone else in the Zeus Legion looked equally tired, the Alchemist's mad rampage was slowed down to a snails pace, panting every now and then before taking another swing at the Khalitzburgs. The rogue sat down on the ground, sweat drenching his jacket.

"This isn't looking good…ten of those things can finish us off if we can't fight back." Zephyrus whispered, as if afraid the Khalitzburgs could hear them. The Hunters and Archers fired their last volley of arrows, nailing three more of them.

Valianse turned to Zephyrus, "What're we going to do? Our falcons our tired too. I think we should retreat…"

"RAWR! I'M BACK IN ACTION!" a kid's voice yelled as the Super Novice sprung onto his feet again. He charged at the seven remaining Khalitzburgs, screaming a bloodlust roar.

"MAGNUM BREAK!" He screamed, blowing up the Khalitzburgs with five consecutive explosions. The smoke lifted, and the floor around the Super Novice was littered with the remaining Khalitzburgs bones.

"Hah! Enemy destroyed!" The Super Novice shouted, holding up two fingers.

'Unbelievable…a Super Novice capable of taking on seven Khalitzburgs all at once!' Zephyrus thought to himself, 'He may prove to be useful with his…'

The Super Novice slumped to the floor suddenly, making snoring noises.

"Zzzz"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Sing, as the Super Novice called himself, opened another chest, revealing old unreadable documents and notes. Still no sign of the Emperium. This is getting boring…after the Khalitzburgs had their butts kicked, not a lot of monsters seemed appeared. Ah well, at least his Guardian Angel visited him again. She always had some goodies in store for him…

"Crap…" muttered to himself the towering figure of a Baphomet walked down the hallway, just outside the room Sing was in. The Baphomet sniffed the air, smelling an unfamiliar scent. It ducked into the door Sing was in, looking around. Nothing. And the scent was gone too.

The Baphomet turned away, patrolling the corridors further. As its footsteps died away, Sing opened the chest he was hiding in, sighing in relief. "That was close…" he said to himself, unsheathing his stiletto from his belt. He was just about to leave when something else caught in his belt. Sing picked it out, finding a small wrapped package. It was as thin as a piece of paper and weighed like a feather. On it, the words To Auril were written.

"What the f…" then, realizing this may be important; he scrambled to look for Zephyrus.

"It might be a message to Auril, or someone back from time wrote it to him! Cool…"

He turned around another corner, meeting up with a very unhappy looking Baphomet.

"Uh oh…" Sing managed to stutter before being sliced open by the Baphomet's Crescent Scythe, spilling his innards onto the floor.

The package lay on the floor, drenched in Sing's blood. The Baphomet licked the blood off its scythe, relishing the coppery liquid stained on it.

Auril felt a small amount of uneasiness as he went down the stairs to the churchyard…as if something was missing…

And somewhere in the Glast Heim castle, a girl screams…begging for mercy as she was flayed alive.

The storm continues to blow…


	12. Friends, Old And New

**Friends…Old and New…**

Prontera Kafra Station, Prontera, just after Chapter 10

Kafra Receptionist Diana opened up box no.101, handing it to the Swordsman. The Swordsman handed her forty zeny, hurrying off to a corner, unloading the tiny box's contents. Diana sighed, patting away dust from her apron.

It has been six years since she joined the Kafra Cooperation. Everyday was a similar routine to any other day. Open storage boxes, teleport people around places, making sure the deceased are respawned safely back to the city and a whole lot of other things. Was that all there was to Diana's life?

"Mew, mew!"

The kitten in Diana's pocket started fumbling around. It was sleeping peacefully a minute ago, now what did it want? Diana took out the little rascal, letting it trash in her palm. Why did she have to take care of the little pussy? Auril should have given it to Joy, the Kafra in Northern Prontera…she doesn't get as busy as Diana…

"Alright, alright, I'll get you something to munch on," Diana said, putting the feline on the ground. She opened up her personal storage box, pulling out some pet food tearing off small bits of it. She fed it to the kitten, letting it devour the meat unceremoniously, thanking Diana by wagging its little tail back and forth rapidly.

'How can anything be so hyper?' Diana thought to herself, 'and why would Auril want a kitten anyway? He's more accustomed to killing animals then to raising them…'

Her thoughts were interrupted when a man approached her.

"Excuse me, I'd like to open box no.455," the man said. He was wearing a large muffler, burn marks and holes marking constant abuse. Diana sighed, asking the man to be patient while she went to retrieve it.

Fumbling through the boxes, she found what she was looking for. Just as she was about to turn back to the man, a voice from behind called, "Don't move and nobody gets hurt." She could feel a small prick on her back as the man's dagger touched her uniform.

'Oh shoot, not again,' Diana thought. The man pushed his dagger a little harder, nudging Diana forward. Even as her heart raced, Diana's mind was still calm.

'Alright, Kafra Rule 117, in case of an assault or a hold up, you are authorized to use any means necessary to annihilate the threat,' Her mind wove through her Kafra Manual, then into the sage class she attended before joining Kafra Corps, 'Earth Spike, earth attribute magic. Casting it requires great skill, chanting the following text at the bottom of the page. Focus on the object you desire to cast the spell on, thinking about the ground at the same time and what shape you desire to manipulate it into, preferably into spikes. Release 400 runes mana into the ground. If done correctly, the spell should take effect and the earth will change into the shape you have thought of.'

Having rehearsed the spell, she let the man help himself to the boxes. Silently, she replaced her hair band with a ribbon; a magically enhanced one. She chanted the words, but no sound came out. Her ribbon had taken effect.

She continued chanting, thinking hard about the man and the spikes she was about to conjure up.

The man, too busy indulging in the treasure cove of goods, never noticed Diana. He sifted through the boxes, emptying their contents into a bag. A little more before the spell is complete…

The man notices a strange humming noise coming from Diana. He turns around dagger drawn. But it was too late. Diana released the spell, sending a surge of mana into the ground. Dark brown spikes suddenly rise from the ground, impaling the man and lifting him into the air.

The man was beaten, but not defeated. He hacked away the spike holding him, pulling them out of his body. Large gaping holes were left in his body, dripping wet with blood and revealing his innards.

Unbelievable, someone was able to survive that blow? What's more, the man seemed to be chanting…

The ground below Diana seemed to dissolve. Then, suddenly, huge spikes protruded from the earth and struck Diana. Most of the spikes missed Diana, but one went straight through her arm.

"W-what? That was the same spell I cast just now…" Diana looked closer at the man. "He's a rogue…a very powerful one…" Diana whispered to herself. It was unmistakeable that it was the rogue's Plagiarism skill.

Diana wrenched her arm out of the spike, clutching the wound tight. She let mana flow into it, knitting her arm back into its original state. But the rogue wasn't about to leave Diana alone. He melted into the ground, blending into the environment. Shoot, he used his hiding skill…

Recalling her memories again, Diana rehearsed the Sight Skill, 'Sight, fire attribute magic. Focus on the area around you. Release mana into the area, manipulating the mana into a die cast of the area. If a hidden object is present, the mana will be attracted and concentrated onto it, revealing its location.'

Diana summoned her energy again, spewing mana into the area. A large concentration of the mana spawned behind her, indicating the rogue's position…

…behind her?

The rogue rematerialized behind Diana, dagger in hand. Before she could do anything, the rogue stabbed Diana just below her neck. Pain surged through her, making her flinch. The rogue lost his grip on the dagger, leaving it sticking out of Diana's back. Cursing under his breath, the Rogue paced away from Diana, and then started chanting again. This time, Diana was ready. She conjured up a counter spell, overriding the Rogue's spell with a surge of Mana, then reabsorbing the mana back into her.

Surprised for a second, the rogue blinked uselessly at Diana. Without hesitation, Diana pulled out the dagger from her back, throwing it back at the rogue. The rogue raised his buckler, letting the dagger ricochet off it. Even without his weapon, the rogue charged at Diana, reaching into his pocket. Diana cast a safety wall around her, bracing for an impact. But all she saw was a blinding flash and the rogue disappeared again.

Tch. At least he left his bag behind. Just when Diana was about to pick it up, a gruesome sight lay a few feet from the bag.

Auril's cat had been struck by the dagger.

'Aw man, now Auril's gonna kill me,' Diana thought, removing the dagger from the kitten. It lay sprawled on the floor, a huge hole in its stomach visible. It wasn't breathing either. Just blood flowing out of its miserable corpse. 'Poor thing, you don't deserve anything like this…'

She dumped the kitten into the nearest rubbish bin, taking off her bloodstained gloves. 'Oh well, Auril never cared much for animals anyway,' Diana went back to the storage boxes, sorting items back into their proper boxes.

Glast Heim Prison, Glast Heim

The Owl Baron grinned at the sight of the undressed girl whimpering on the floor. Alice has just been resurrected from her last torture. Looks like the Injustices were too eager to hurt her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little slave girl, coming back from the dead. How did it feel, having half your skin torn off your body?"

Alice said nothing, whimpering in the memory of the pain. The Owl Baron flew toward her, grabbing Alice by her hair. "This time, I'll personally escort you to the Torture chamber. The injustices make you suffer so slowly that it makes me bored. I'm taking things", the Owl Baron's grin grew even wider, "into my own hands."

Alice just continued to sob, ignoring the Owl Baron's words.

"Very well then, if you want me to hurry up, then I shall do so," the Owl Baron dragged Alice toward the torture chamber, still holding her by her hair.

Too painful…too much…can't think straight…it's hopeless…

Alice's mind was blurry, unable to control her own thoughts. Pain surged through her as she felt as if her hair was about to be yanked off.

'Please…no more…' Alice thought to herself. The torturing had made her nerves overloaded, losing control of her body. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move, but she could still feel, the Owl Baron made sure of that. She could only watch as the torturing goes on.

As the Injustices strapped her into a new machine, Alice tried to thrash out of the thing. It was no use. Her body wouldn't respond to her mind…it felt like you were trapped in a shell, unable to get out.

'No…' she thought desperately, 'please no more…I'm sorry I ran away…I should have never done it…just leave me alone…I'll clean Glast Heim again, please let me go…no, please don't do this…no…no…NO!'

The Owl Baron pulled a lever slightly, watching as Alice was stabbed with a thousand needles, all in the specific points of her body that hurt most.

Alice let out a long mental scream, her still not responding to her. The pain was too great…she felt like she was about to explode… 

'Somebody…help me…'

Then, the pain lessened. The needles were drawn out of her. Was it a miracle? Has someone come to save her?

The Owl Baron hung over her, scrutinizing her.

"Humph. Watching you suffer isn't enough. I want you to scream. I want to hear you scream. I want to see you trash desperately as I put as much pain as possible into you. I want to hear your pleas for mercy. It'll make this little stay in the torture chamber all the more enjoyable to me."

With that, Alice felt her body come back to life. She could move herself again, but it was no use. She was already strapped onto the needle machine. She tried to break the bonds holding her, but it was useless. It won't budge.

"Now, let the fun begin," and the Owl Baron pulled the lever once more.

"No…please…no more…no…AHHHH! NO! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! NO! HELP ME! HELP ME!"

The needles re-entered Alice's body, this time even deeper then before. They kept going deeper and deeper, until the needles came out from the other end of her body.

Alice squirmed even more desperately, only to further increase the pain the needles were causing. Tiny trickles of blood flowed into her eye as one needle hit her skull. She closed her eyes, hoping that this would all be over soon.

'Let it stop…just let me die…'

The needles stopped moving again. They released themselves from Alice, lessening the pain again. What did the Owl Baron want this time? Was it to increase her pain? Or did he just want to see how badly he hurt her?

But the most peculiar thing happened. The bonds released Alice, letting her slump onto the floor. She tried to get up, but the puncture wounds on her made it painful. Even lying down was painful. Then, a shadow covered her in darkness. The person who made the shadow drenched her in an orange liquid, making Alice feel cold. She got up, hugging herself for warmth. The water was so cold…she felt numb for a second…

…what happened to the pain?

She looked at her arms. Nothing, not even a scar to indicate her last torture. She was healed…

She looked up at whoever was standing beside her. An assassin with spiky white hair looked at Alice with cold, blue eyes. In one hand, he held a bottle of orange potion. In his other hand held a bloodstained Grimtooth.

"Humph, of all the people to survive, it had to be you," the assassin muttered. He gave Alice what was left of the orange potion. "Drink this, it'll help."

Alice took the bottle from the assassin silently, sipping the potion bit by bit. Small pains stabbing her insides started to fade away, her aching body relaxed as all the discomforts disappeared.

"Umm…thank you…sir…" Alice whispered, but the assassin apparently heard her.

"Don't call me sir; I'll kill you if you do," the assassin was silent for a moment, then continued, "call me Turamii."

"Yes, sir…I mean, Turamii…"

Turamii gave Alice a lift up, bringing her up onto her feet. From this point, Alice could see the Owl Baron's corpse on the floor, his head was caved in; the only trace of how he died was a boot print in the deepest part his face caved in.

"Don't look. I'll kill you too if you puke anywhere near my assassin outfit."

Alice just nodded, following Turamii out the door…

FWAP!

Another Injustice fell to the floor as an arrow penetrated its soft skin. Damn, missed its head again.

Clover took out another arrow, expecting another Injustice to come around the corner. Nothing.

Still alert, Clover continued to scan the area. If another of those eyeless dudes ever came close to the room she was guarding ever again…

Shumi flew back from her patrol, perching herself gently onto Clover's shoulders. She nipped Clover's hair gently, indicating that she found nothing too. Clover rewarded her by petting her falcon's head, feeling its soft feathers run through her fingers. It was so soft that it made you forget your troubles for once…

"Slacking off aren't you?" a cold voice came from behind Clover. Turamii approached noiselessly, Alice following closely behind him.

"I…I wasn't slacking! My falcon just came back, and I reward her by stroking her…"

"Cut the chatter, we've got what we wanted and now we're leaving."

Clover's face became red with anger, but she didn't dare retort. Not to an assassin from the Abyss Legion.

Even though he was very soft, Clover's trained ear could hear Turamii ranting to himself very clearly, "Tch, Valentine sends a report that he's failed his search here. Now Auril wants this stupid girl retrieved, and of all the people, he had to send US to get her butt out of this dump…"

"He sent us because he believed we could do it!" Clover cried out suddenly.

Turamii stared at her with his cold, blue eyes. He stopped in his tracks, drawing his katar.

"Stop eavesdropping me, or it's your head," he threatened.

"Humph, I can't stop myself from NOT hearing you. I've been trained to be acute at hearing."

"Then let me cut your ears off for you." Turamii raised his katar, only to be confronted by a silver tipped arrow.

"I'm warning you, one wrong move and it's an arrow through your head!" Clover drew her bow, the arrow she was holding pulled back on her bow.

Turamii lowered his weapon, mumbling to himself, "Tch, if Grace didn't put that probe on me, I would've killed this little hunter slut with my slowest working poison…"

Clover heard him, but didn't say anything. She just looked away from him, turning her attention to Alice instead.

"So, you're Alice…and what happened to your clothes? Did Turamii rape you?" Turamii had his hand on the hilt of his Grimtooth. "Anyway, here; it's my old dress, but it'll do for the time being." Clover took out a blue one piece dress from her bag, handing it to Alice. "We're about the same height, so I think it'll be your size.

Alice took it shyly, putting it on with slow grace. The dress was just a little too short for her, but it was alright. Clover clapped her hands together, squealing in joy, "Wah, you look so cute in that! I wish I was as good looking in that, I envy you…"

"T-thank you…"

"…shut up, somebody's coming" Turamii snapped.

He melted into the wall, cloaking himself to hide his position.

"Argh! He's running away! Can you believe it? Leave it to lil ol' me to fight…"

The rattling of chains grew louder as an Injustice came within sight of Clover. She took out her bow, drawing an arrow in the direction of the Injustice…

The Injustice was only eight feet away from her. She'd have enough time to fire one arrow before the Injustice came too close. She had to make a perfect shot…

The Injustice's head flopped to the ground, the body still in a standing position. It tumbled down soon after Turamii gave it a kick from behind. "Small fry," Turamii mumbled.

Clover relaxed the string of her bow. She put back the arrow into its sheath, lowering her bow to a neutral position.

"So, you weren't running after all…" Turamii's katar came up to Clover's throat. "I. Never. Run."

Clover gulped, nodding slightly as Turamii withdrew his blade once more. This guy was creepy, ever since Clover came near him, he radiated the coldest aura Clover ever felt. He was the bane of the circus.

Alice watched intently. It was strange…somebody as cold as Turamii saving her…it just didn't feel…right. But he must have taken out his bloodlust on Clover, poor thing, being picked on like that. At least it kept Alice's thoughts further away from the torturing she's been through just now...Alice kept her head down, pretending nothing happened.

Zephyrus peered at Sing's corpse, his blood was overlapped by the Baphomet's own blood. A tiny package caught his eye, and he picked it up. "For…Auril?"

Auril couldn't shake off the feeling. It felt as if something was about to happen…something in the Churchyard didn't feel right…


	13. Truth and Lies

**The Truth and Lies…  
**

Glast Heim Culvert, Glast Heim, an hour after Chapter 11

"I told you this is the wrong way!" Clover chided as another Anolian swung its sword at her. She ducked, avoiding the attack by inches, retaliating with two swift arrows into its chest.

"Shut up, concentrate and fight, damn it!" Turamii retorted, slicing a Sting into half, only to see it regenerate itself. Turamii swore under his breath. His venom and blades couldn't kill that thing. What's more was that there were at least five more of them behind the one he was attacking. He had to think fast, if he ever had a chance against them…

"Look out!" Clover cried. An arrow struck Turamii's shoulder, spewing blood all over his clothes. 'Great. Now my suit's all messed up,' he thought to himself.

Looking up, he spotted a Gargoyle strafing him from a distance. "You'll no where safe from me as long as I could see you," Turamii thought to himself. He crouched low onto the ground, ignoring the incoming stings. With a hard kick off the ground, he flew past the stings, straight for his target…ten metres away.

"Gotcha," the Gargoyle heard before being torn apart by Turamii's Meteor Assault. Bits and pieces flew in every direction as Turamii forced a huge crater into the place the Gargoyle was standing. Clover flinched as one of the Gargoyle's finger landed on her shoulder.

"Now for the stings…what are they weak against?" Turamii thought out loud, dodging the Stings around him. Damn, there had to be away…

"They're weak against fire, and even if you don't have a fire weapon, that tiny katar of yours isn't going to do any good either," a voice from the shadows answered, "You should use what I'm holding."

Turamii spun around, watching as a tall man with long blue hair walked into the light. He had a huge sword, which ignited with a bright light, blinding Turamii for a while.

Turamii has only seen something like that happen once before. Auril had the ability to imbue his weapon with spiritual energy, making it much more powerful then before.

The Stings attentions were drawn toward the light, all of them crawling in that direction.

"Humph, six on one? You're all outmatched by me," the man said, raising his gigantic sword. The first Sting came toward him, glove hungrily reaching out toward him. Soon all the Stings followed suit and came straight for the man.

The man sneered once, slamming his sword into the ground. The ground shuddered violently as the Stings exploded into air, mud and leather bits covering the sewage. Another crater, this one much larger then Turamii's, was being slowly filled by the water seeping into the culvert.

"Humph, and watch your back," the man said. Turamii spun around, seeing an Anolian heading straight for him. He readied his katars, but the Anolian fell to the ground before it even got close to him. Clover had shot an arrow into its head.

"Yes! I finally managed a headshot!" she squealed from behind, doing a little victory dance. Even Shumi joined in the festivities by chirping loudly, flying in circles around her.

"Well done, I see great potential in you, young miss," the man said, walking toward Clover, "I'm sure with more time, you could be come an…excellent hunter."

Turamii watched the man's eyes. It was very brief, but he caught a glimpse of them staring just below Clover's head…

"Back to the point," the man said, "tell, me assassin, who are you? I don't recall you being in my team."

"…'Lord Balmung' himself…" Turamii breathed, finally recognising the man, "Leader of the Aubis Legion reinforcement group."

"I don't need a murderer to tell me who I am. My question was simple. Who are you?" Balmung said.

"…Turamii," he said rather reluctantly, with a hint of threat in his voice.

"And you, my lady?"

"M-me? I…I'm Clover…hello…" Clover said, hands behind her back, feet shuffling the floor.

"I see. So you're the ones from the Abyss Legion to clean up Valentine's mess? Humph, that idiot wanted so many non-melee combatants that it got him killed. So, I heard a report saying that you've rescued that girl Alice. Where is she, may I ask?"

Turamii turned around, scanning for the pale girl. She was gone.

"Ah…where'd she go? Alice! Alice, where are you?" Clover shouted out, but received no response. "She was here a minute ago…" she turned to her falcon, "Shumi, go look for Alice! We'll search the other way."

The falcon gave her master a nod, taking off into the air in search of the girl.

Balmung's face contorted in concentration, then softened up again. "I've just told everyone in the Aubis Legion to search for this Alice in addition to their previous orders. We'd better get a move on it to, whoever she is; Auril must think she is very important to take such measures to retrieve her."

"Such measures? An inexperienced hunter and only one man to invade something that obliterated a whole legion? That's not even desperate, it's suicidal," Turamii retorted.

"If she wasn't important, Auril would never even bother to look for her," Balmung's face became grim. "He may seem friendly outside, but he's much more selfish then he seems."

Turamii stared at Balmung for a second, but didn't let his curiosity wander too far. It had cost him dearly the last time. He shook of the feeling, returning his attention to the current situation.

"C'mon, you guys, as much as I want to hear why Mister Balmung thinks Auril is a jerk, we have to find Alice!" Clover complained.

Balmung looked at Turamii, then looked away, closing his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "Kids," he mumbled to himself.

Alice ran, through the cold wet sewage and into the darkness. The stench got worse and worse the deeper she went in. But it didn't matter. Those Anolians chasing her weren't about to turn tail and walk away.

Somehow, this place didn't feel right. It had enough light to make it seem like evening at least, but there wasn't a trace of where the light was coming from; not even in the water's reflection. Alice could see the place clearly, but with no source of light…how odd…

But she didn't have time to dwell on such things. The Anolians were much faster then she was and were closing in fast. Alice took another tight turn, panting from the effort of running for so long.

Suddenly, loud cries broke out from behind her. Alice glanced back, watching in wonder as the Anolians slammed themselves into the wall. What were they doing? They were supposed to be chasing her…

Some of the Anolians got up, and looked like they were groping in the dark. There was enough light to see, what were they thinking?

Unless…they couldn't see?

A sudden realization came to Alice. She could see in the dark…that would explain why it was so bright without an obvious source of light…

No time to dilly dally though, Alice took this chance to run further ahead of them. She left the trashing crocodiles to their own devices, not wanting one of them to grope her. The smell in this tunnel must be hiding her too, and it got even worse the deeper she went in.

It has been an hour since Alice started running from the Anolians. The stench somewhat died down, letting her breathe fresher air then she could before. She stopped for a break, sitting on the dry side of the culvert.

It was a dreadful place. Everything was so dirty. Bits of slime covered the lower part of the sewage, only to be run over by the streams of water flowing out of Glast Heim. Dust and blotches filled the walls, covering the stones and bricks with a slick layer of filth. Alice had a desperate urge to clean this place up, but she held the feeling back.

It was so peaceful somehow, being alone in the dark…it makes you think about life, how it seems like it's unfair, yet just as important…to Alice, experiences in life were like trials before passing on…she was sad that she lost her friends; Tiana, Al De Santra, Jovich, Rephere…but she had accepted it now, looking at what could be ahead of her in life. If Auril's plan works, then she'd be back in a city, probably sweeping the floor of an inn again or a shop…maybe she'd get her own job…as an acolyte maybe? They seemed like nice people…but even if Auril failed, she had a way out; the sewages must lead out of Glast Heim and Alice could escape at the end of the sewage. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all…

"W-who's there? Show yourself demon! I could feel your presence!"

Alice, startled from the sudden outburst, blinked in the direction of the sound. Unmistakeably, a priestess stood just beside her, glancing left and right nervously. She held her arc wand tight with trembling hands, fearing the worst. She was definitely blinded in the darkness.

Alice stood up silently, shifting just beside the priestess. Alice put her hand gently on her shoulder, whispering, "Please don't be afraid, I'm not here to harm you."

But the priest backed away from her, blindly stumbling backwards, landing in a heap on the floor.

"No! Please don't hurt me…please don't hurt me…please don't hurt me…! I'm sorry Victor…I'm sorry for running away…please god, forgive me…I couldn't bear to face them…" the priestess rolled herself up into a ball, sobbing into her dress. The powerful figure of a priest disappeared from her. She felt…weak, puny, pathetic…

She felt just like Alice…

Alice approached her again, stroking her hair like how she stroked Little Tails to calm him down. "Please…I'm not here to hurt you…I…yes, I'm a half-demon…but please don't hate me…I don't mean any harm…I was just running away from some Anolians…"

The priestess didn't seem convinced. She continued to drench her dress, rolling up into a tighter ball and continued to plea for mercy.

'Now I know how the Sage Worms felt like when I ignored them…' Alice thought to herself. She continued to stroke the priestesses' hair, persuading her further, "Please…believe me…I was too scared that my friends would die to…so I ran from them…I couldn't bear to hear what everyone else would say if they heard that their friends got killed…just for a girl like me…"

The priestess uncurled herself, looking at Alice, tears still streaming down her face. Alice felt like she was looking at herself. Memories streaked past as gazed into the priestesses' sad eyes. Was this what she looked like every time she cried? It was truly a pitiful sight…

Pushing on, Alice continued to talk to her, "Um…I'm Alice…Alice Ashkebourne…what's your name…?"

The priest eyes opened wider. "A-Alice…? You're the one the Owl Baron wanted…"

Alice put a finger to the priestesses' lips, indicating her to be silent. "Yes…I'm that Alice. Please don't cry, I'm not here to hurt you…"

The priest stuttered, she was slightly confused, "But…you're a demon…"

Alice couldn't bear it anymore. She threw her self around the priestess, sobbing as she spoke, "Please! Please believe me…nobody else has been like me…it had cost me so many of my friends to be here…please…you're the first person I've met that's…like me…please don't be afraid of me…"

The priestess looked wide eyed at Alice at first, but her face softened, and she stroked Alice as she continued to cry in her lap. "I…I think I know how you feel…losing friends, leading a miserable life…" the priestess wiped her own tears, giving a genuine a smile, "just like me…"

It has been another ten minutes since Alice and the priestess, Patience, met.

They sat huddled together, sitting in the darkness, only to be lighted by Patience's mage light. The little orb glowed a soft whitish blue, illuminating their faces for each other to see. 

"So…um, how did you become a half-demon anyway…? If it's not too much to ask from you to tell me…" Patience asked.

How did she become a half-demon? Alice remembered that dreadful day, "I…I was taken by the Dark Lord…he made me into a demon, so I'd live forever…and forever be a slave…it was painful," Alice looked at her hand, "almost all my blood was drained out to make space for the demon part of my body…that's why I'm so pale…"

"Oh…I'm sorry you had to go through…so much…" Patience whispered, "But if you live forever, how old are you now?"

"One thousand and fourteen…I think…"

"One thousand years…" Patience repeated, "If we weren't so miserable…maybe it would've been nice…"

"Patience, why are you here?" Alice asked, "I've been answering so many of your questions…but why did you come here, in the darkness?"

"I…I ran away from my friends…" Patience started, "It was all my fault…I cast the wrong spell on Hanna…my mind's always jumbled up with thoughts…I can't concentrate very well…then…if I cast the right spell…Hanna wouldn't have died…"

Alice patted Patience's back. She didn't have a thousand years to think about her life. Sympathy seeped out of her as Alice did her best to comfort her new friend…

…a new friend…

"Alice! Alice, where are you? Alice!"

Alice woke up, startled. Somebody was calling her name…?

She glanced to her side; Patience continued dozing peacefully on her shoulder. Not wanting to disturb her, Alice carefully moved her head back straight into position. 'Sleep well,' Alice thought.

She ran to whoever was calling her name, then stopped. If she went back now…then she'd be stuck here…and if Auril's plan failed, then she'd be tortured by the Owl Baron again…

No she had to believe in her friends. This had to work, or they'd all die…just like the others…

'I'm sorry…' she mentally called out, running in the opposite direction of the shouting.

She couldn't bear to think that all her friends were going to die. She just couldn't…everyone meant so much to her now…she couldn't bear to see this all end…

Clover went into the dark passage, using her Shumi keen eyesight to navigate through the dark.

"Alice! C'mon, Alice, no more hide and seek! Alice!" Clover shouted. Nothing.

Maybe she went really deep inside…Clover went deeper into the passage, shouting out Alice's name. Still no sign of her.

"Oh, Shumi, where could she be?" Clover asked her falcon. The falcon just made a shrugging motion, letting her master stroke her head.

Clover rounded another corner, calling out Alice's name again.

"Alice! Alice! This isn't funny! Alice-" Clover stopped. Through her falcon's eyes, she could see somebody on the floor. She wasn't very clear, but Shumi could see a young girl roughly around Clover's own age.

"Alice, is that you?" She called out. The person on the floor rubbed her eyes, feeling around for a support to stand up.

"Alice…? Where's Alice?" the person asked through the darkness.

"I want to ask you that same question miss," Clover replied, "Were you with Alice?"

"Yes, for a while…we were talking to each other…then we took a nap together…and now she's gone…"

Clover swore under her breath. Why was Alice running away? There wasn't anything to be afraid about. Everyone was here for her!

Clover kicked the wall, sending bits of dirt flying in every direction. Some gratefulness she showed…especially after she and Turamii saved her…if only they didn't get lost, then things would've been much smoother…

And who was this girl, or rather, priestess? What was she doing, sleeping with Alice? Oh well, she can be interrogated later.

"C'mon, sister of god, time to go back," Clover helped her walk through the darkness, "we could find our run away maiden later."

The priestess nodded, holding Clover's hand through the darkness. Alice helped her make this part of life much easier; she was ready to face her friends again…knowing someone has been through worse…

Turamii couldn't take this anymore. That girl has wasted three hours of his precious time. And now where was she?

"Calm down, I could tell you're overly annoyed by the situation now," Lord Balmung told Turamii, "you're too spoilt by power; you've lost most of your assassin characteristics. You show your emotions all too easily and lost all your patience to greed. Haven't you, assassin…or should I say assassin cross?"

"I could say the same to you, lord knight. I could tell you hunger for women, ever since you met Clover," Turamii retorted.

"Humph, looks like we're on the same ground then. Our reincarnation definitely made us all seem very much alike," Balmung grinned, "Ah, but when it comes to power, Auril has it all. Not even when I have the Balmung in my hands. That Abyss Legion blood running through his veins makes him one tough son of an arse to beat, even if I had some too."

Turamii said nothing, listening intently without actually letting his face betray his feelings.

"Ah well, nobody remembers the first Abyss Legion anymore…the most powerful force in Midgard back then, besides the Dark Lord himself. Lord Auril the First led his men into a battle that has long been forgotten by many. You know the legend of the Titans? The Abyss Legion back then killed more then nine tenths of them in the Forgotten War. They were slaughtered instantly by the Dark Lord however, due to heavy damages taken from fighting the Titans. Sigh, my ancestors must have known the end was neigh for them and the kingdom of Glast Heim anyway."

"Your ancestors?" Turamii asked, puzzled.

"Heh, I have the Abyss Legion's blood in me too. And I know exactly what Auril wants to do," Balmung replied.

"So, what is he going to do?" Turamii asked, not noticing his sudden rise in curiosity.

"I told you he was very selfish earlier on. That's because this plan of his; it's a failure from the start. Odin Legion wasn't wiped out by a mere coincidence. The Owl Baron knew from the start. And when the Owl Baron knows, the Dark Lord knows. You know what the Dark Lord was capable of. Auril knew all this, but he never withdrew the troops," Balmung smirked once, "He's willing to send everyone to hell, so long as he took the glory. Like greatly-great grandfather, like greatly great grandson. One's already dead and the other's going to die."

Turamii said nothing. He didn't believe for a second that Auril didn't know. He didn't believe Lulaba, Meth and the other were all going to die because of his already insane plan. And even if they died, couldn't they just be resurrected?

Turamii didn't believe a word Lord Balmung said.

Zephyrus opened the package written to Auril. Maybe there was some useful information inside?

A blood stained message held some almost illegible writing.

Almost.

"Dear Auril," Zephyrus read to himself, "Your plans were a failure from the start. Your mad plot to destroy the Titans' base is insane. I and seven other members of the Abyss Legion have opted to stay by the king, where we are needed the most. Our adventuring days are over, Auril. Open your eyes and see. I will not let good men and women lie in waste because of you. I hope you would rethink your ways. Signed…Lord Balmung?"

There was more, "P.S. The Dark Lord has ways of fighting our resurrection spells. He will not let your soul return in peace…" The Dark Lord can stop the Metempsychosis Spell? Impossible...

Zephyrus ran toward the Glast Heim Church as fast as possible. Auril had to be stopped…

Alice gazed at the sky. It was still raining, and the amount of water coming out of the pipe she was walking through increased. 'I have to go back to Prontera…' Alice thought to herself, 'I have to find Little Tails…then we could run away together…to wherever fate takes us'

The sad truth awaited her arrival…and the final fate of all who perish…


	14. The Storm Ends

The Storm Ends…

Glast Heim Churchyard, Glast Heim

Grace stuck close to Lulaba, holding her for comfort. Why was she doing this? It was so childish…but it made her feel better…if Lulaba didn't mind, then it didn't really matter.

Lulaba just let the little girl hang onto her skirt. It didn't disturb her much anyway. Even though she wouldn't admit it, Lulaba thought Grace looked really cute like that…

She shunted that thought out of her mind completely. She had to be insane or very drunk to have even thought of that. Those white potions Auril gave her must have been drugged…

But ever since Grace started hugging her waist, she had the same feelings over and over…

She shoved the thought back out again. This wasn't helping her concentrate at all. She had to concentrate on her task at hand…

The Churchyard had been searched thrice, but still no gap or switch to where the Emperium may be hidden…maybe it wasn't here after all.

Whistling to her falcon, Lulaba waited as he finished another aerial sweep. He sure was taking his time on this search…

Suddenly, Lulaba's vision was replaced by the falcons'. It must have spotted something.

Something dark and blurry was forming near the middle of the Churchyard…was it another monster spawning? No…it was far too large to be anything Lulaba's seen so far…she commanded her falcon to take a closer look…

Suddenly, the dark blur shot out a colossal skeletal hand at Lulaba. Her vision became dark as the hand curled around her…

Sudden spikes of pain wrapped Lulaba, making her yell in agony. It felt like she was being crushed like an egg…shattering into bits and pieces…

"Lulaba! Lulaba, what's wrong? Lulaba!"

Her vision returned to her, she found herself on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Grace knelt beside her, trying desperately to shake her awake.

Her falcon…her bond bird…was killed by that…thing…

She was still trembling slightly from the experience, and she noticed she was crying. She wiped her tears hastily, not letting Grace see her in this condition.

"Lulaba…" Grace asked concernedly, "are you…crying…?"

"No, I'm not," Lulaba said flatly, "C'mon, I need to check something out."

"Lulaba…was it your falcon? How come he hasn't come back even though you whistled to him?"

"It's nothing. He'll be back," Lulaba insisted. But she never once looked at Grace. She just let her hold her hand, not letting her look at her face…

…not letting her look at the tears she was shedding…

Geffen outskirts, Geffen area, a moment later…

Alice stood under a tree, drying herself again as the storm continued to pour. It was getting worse and worse…and the magic energy in the air the first time Alice felt it…it was getting stronger too…

But it didn't matter anymore; Alice was running away. She promised herself she won't look back. She'll go find Little Tails and they could run into the forests of Payon…maybe try joining the archer guild and get a life as another normal person…that might be fun…

Twisting her dress one last time, Alice ran back into the rain, going towards the grey walls of Geffen…

A guard was in his guard post, humming to himself as the storm continued to pour. He greeted the girl in blue cheerfully, telling her to get home fast; her parents won't be happy to see her soaking wet. 'Kids these days,' he thought to himself.

Alice ran through the gates, ignoring the guards' greeting. She charged ahead, finding shelter from the rain. Maybe that alley over there? The goods merchant's shop appears to be closed…

Just as she entered the alley, a loud scream echoed through the howling wind. What happened? The scream was close, it sounded like it came from deeper in the alley…maybe an accident…?

Alice ran ahead, hoping who ever it was that screamed wasn't hurt badly. The roofs here extended out, making a shelter from the rain for the price of light. It was very dim, but Alice could see perfectly. She ran ahead, dodging barrels and other obstacles that prevented her from reaching the screaming.

Where was the person who screamed? He couldn't be too far…Alice should be able to hear him mumbling or moaning at least…

Oh no.

The man lay on the floor, a knife stabbed into the back of his head. He was definitely dead; Alice couldn't feel a pulse…

Was it an assassin who killed him?

Alice gave him a silent prayer, hoping a safe after life. He didn't look like any of the warrior class jobs, so he didn't have the benefit of being resurrected…

Alice noticed a small pouch sticking out of the man's pocket. A small jingling sound came out of it when Alice lifted it. Inside, there were hundreds of small golden coins…that new currency Auril told her about…zeny? Maybe some of it would be useful along the way…

No, she couldn't take anything from the dead. She had seen people stripping her of her corpse's apron, broom and other things…it was exactly what she was doing now…

She took ten coins from the pouch, putting the rest back into his pocket. "Please forgive me, but I'll need some of this…I'll repay you if I ever get a chance…"

Alice ran away from the man. He reminded her of Tiana suddenly…how she died in the hands of a killer…she had to run; she promised herself not to look back…

The rain continued to pour, and soon, Alice was a dripping mess. Shelter didn't seem to matter much now; her present condition was bad already. She needed to find an Inn maybe, find a place to dry her clothes and wait till the storm stops…

"Hello, dear. We of the Kafra cooperation will always be here to serve you. What may I do for you today?" A lady in a uniform that reminded Alice of her old Glast Heim maid Uniform said under the shade of an umbrella. Alice didn't notice she ran into the town square…but there wasn't anyone but the Kafra person here…and she could see a huge tower sticking out of the city somewhere in the north.

"Umm…are you doing here, miss…Kafra?" Alice asked shyly. She was still unused to talking to people. She would keep her head low and speak in whispers, even to her friends. Everyone except Little Tails perhaps…he never seemed to be able to talk back…

The Kafra raised an eyebrow at Alice, but quickly replied, "I'm here to server people who have need for my services. I can help save your respawn point here in Geffen, open your personal storage box or teleport you to a nearby city."

Teleport her to a nearby city? That would definitely cut down Alice's trek back to Prontera.

"Umm…I'd like to go to pon-tel-a please…" she couldn't pronounce the city's name correct somehow…it must be the Glast accent she had…

"Warp services to Prontera cost one thousand two hundred zeny per transaction," the Kafra held out her hand, waiting for Alice to pay the right amount of zeny.

"Umm…hold on…please…" Alice dug into her pocket. She took out the coins she found earlier on the dead man, "This is all I have…will it be enough?"

The Kafra took one look at what was in her hands, and her face went into such a shocked expression she looked like she's seen a ghost.

"My dear, just one of these coins would be sufficient. In fact, I'll need to give you some change too," The Kafra took out her pouch, handing back Alice's remaining coins and a few silver and copper ones as well. Alice could hear the Kafra mumbling to herself as she worked on the transition spell, "Tristan's Gold Coins! Those must be worth at least one hundred thousand zeny each…and she had ten of them…"

With wisps of light gathering around Alice, she disappeared into a vortex, slowly materializing back into reality…

: _Auril, we have a very big problem…_:

Lulaba and Grace were surrounded by the most amount of undead they have ever seen. The dark blur in the middle of the Churchyard was gone, replaced by the newest army of enemies, as well as the bodies of some of the Abyss Legion group.

Lulaba shot another volley of Arrows at the marching zombies. They hit their mark, pushing the zombies with such force that they fell back onto the ground. But they still came. Even with arrows stuck in their heads, eyes, limbs and chest, they continued to march on toward the duo.

Grace threw her healing spells at them desperately, dispelling their undeath force back to the shadows. The zombies glowed green as Grace's healing spell turned the zombies back into corpses. But her effort was in vain as another hundred trudged toward them.

"Any good idea what to do?" Grace asked out of desperation.

"Yes. Get Auril and the rest of the gang here. Fast," Lulaba said coolly. She was still as cold as ice, even after the death of her beloved Falcon.

: _Auril! Get down here, FAST._ :

: _I'm coming, I'm coming, hold on as long as possible, I and the rest of us are running at cha'._ :

That meant he was probably running around, trying to find a slope to get to the centre of the Churchyard. Great, there's goes the cavalry.

Lulaba readied another batch of arrows. She held them in the same hand she used to hold her bow, the other hand already pulling back on the string. One more last minute aim and she set the arrow on the string free.

Before the arrow was allowed to hit its target, Lulaba flicked another arrow onto the string with her bow hand, pulling back as hard as possible. When the first arrow hit its victim, a second was already launched toward the same target.

'If you can't kill them, hit them again,' Lulaba thought back to a conversation she overheard by Auril and Chan. Their simple minded logic had some uses after all.

Lulaba unloaded arrows into the zombie until it lay motionless on the floor. She must have struck a weak spot…

But it wasn't time to celebrate yet. The next zombie was just two metres away from her. She drew another stack of arrows out of its sheath, it took her a split second to load one arrow onto the bow and pull back the string again. The zombie was only one metre away from her…

She brutally kicked the zombie away from her. Its head lolled off its neck, landing with a splat on the floor. The rest of the zombie toppled down onto the floor, staying motionless once more.

She fired the arrow she had pulled back, aiming at the zombie who was about to swing its arm at Grace. The arrow struck the zombie, but it paid no attention to the new piece of material in its rotting flesh. It bashed at Grace's barrier, making loud clanging sounds on them.

Another quick succession of arrows impaled the zombie, tearing off so much skin you could see bits of what was left of its inside…Grace didn't dare look, but Lulaba was indifferent. She fired her remaining arrows in her hand at the approaching lot, disabling three more zombies.

She felt for her sheath for more arrows…but only two were found. 'Damn,' Lulaba thought to herself, 'these things are really making me mad…'

Lulaba cut off the string from her bow with her dagger, holding both weapons together. Grace could take care of herself, she'd have not trouble.

A zombie attempted to lunge at Lulaba, but with a leap, she impaled the end of her bow into the zombie's chest. Now stuck in a deadly embrace, the zombie desperately clawed at Lulaba's direction, out of reach by just a few centimetres. Lulaba wasted no time; she sliced off the zombie's hands off, rendering it incapable of doing real damage to her. She finished it off with a quick slash of her combat knife, decapitating it clean off its shoulder. More smell of dried blood filled the air as the zombie returned to the dead.

Grace wasn't having as good a time as Lulaba. She scrambled to establish another barrier while turning the zombies. One quick chant from her and the zombies would suddenly fall to the ground motionlessly. But the zombies were all surrounding her; if it wasn't for the barrier, the zombies would be stomping on Grace's body flat now…

Lulaba sliced open another zombie's gut, letting rotten intestines to flop out of the body. The zombie didn't react much and was about to attack again when it suddenly found itself flying off its body. Another decapitation by Lulaba.

"Lulaba!" Grace called out, "I don't think I can take much more of this…"

The barrier around Grace began to fade steadily away…if Lulaba didn't do something the zombies were going to all over her…

Lulaba leapt at one of the zombies near Grace. She forced it aside, causing it to tumble to the ground with a few of its friends. Lulaba stabbed her bow into their heads, letting dried blood stain the oak wood. She threw her dagger at a zombie that was about to land another attack onto Grace's barrier. It sliced through its spine, just cutting it enough to leave enough flesh to hang its head grotesquely off its neck, supported only by what was left of it.

Grace ran through the escape route Lulaba just made for her, just in time to feel the effects of the barrier wear off. Grace cast another barrier around her and Lulaba. This would even the odds a little…but only a little. The other hundred zombies were already too packed together to force through them. They were trapped, and Lulaba and Grace would wear out soon if this keeps up…

"Yee-haw!" A cry from called. A peco peco jumped down from the ledge, a lord knight holding onto its reins tight. Auril jumped off his stead, charging at the zombie legion, spear raised.

With a spinning motion, he launched the spear into a dangerous rotor blade; tearing up everything that came to close. One zombie came bravely up to him, swinging its hands uselessly at him. Auril brought down his spear, power amplified by the force of the spinning. Bones and decayed flesh flew like projectiles, hitting everything with great force. The bits pinged off Auril's armour, making the zombies that were impaled by the rest of the pieces seem like they were made of fluff. They pierced through them with ease, instantly dispatching them back into the underworld.

Auril had time to give Lulaba and Grace a thumbs up before returning to the battle.

Lulaba recovered from Auril's sudden appearance, joining the fray as the trio fought the waves of undead brought to them.

"You're late," Lulaba chided.

"Sorry, but the way here was blocked; I was the only one who could make the jump down that slope, nobody else brought their Pecos along."

Damn, that meant no reinforcements.

But it didn't matter…Auril always had a way to handle things…

'Damn it…if Kaylah was with me, I would have reached the church already…' Zephyrus muttered. He ran through the rain, hand clutching his staff. That quickening spell the healers were taught would sure be useful now…

No time to ponder on that. He was almost there anyway.

: _Kaylah, I'm sorry for the swift departure, but get everyone from the Zeus Legion to the Glast Heim Church, ASAP. We've got to stop Auril!_ :

: _Stop him? But…: Kaylah's channel filled with thoughts of confusion, but she recovered swiftly: Yes sir, mister Zephyrus, sir! I'll try to round up everyone!_ :

The channel faded away. Zephyrus cursed himself for forgetting to contact his team beforehand. Damn…was he already fighting the Dark Lord? No; if he did, the whole of Glast Heim would be levelled…

Wait…

Zephyrus slowed to a halt. He could feel a mana pulse coming from…the sky?

Shielding his face with an energy coat, he glanced up into the sky. No mistake about it; a spell was being cast above…but the thunderclouds were blocking most of it…

The storm was a disguise…?

Concentrating with all his might, Zephyrus sent up a huge wash of mana. The clouds parted from the energy burst, revealing the biggest spell circle he has ever seen…

Zephyrus knew how to read the patterns within the circle; the lost language of the Endless Arcanity…it spelled out…

Oh crap.

Finding Auril was even more important now. They had to get out of here fast…

The Dark Lord has risen.

Alice returned to the familiar streets of Prontera. The clamour of a thousand people could be heard as the Town Square was alive with citizens and adventurers alike. She missed this place…it brought up memories of her old life in Glast Heim…

A familiar face passed by, a young lady with beautiful blond hair and deep blue eyes. She had a woven basket in her hand, inside were a variety of dyestuffs….

"Jovich?" Alice whispered to herself.

Even through the noise of the market, even though Alice was so soft, it was as if Jovich could hear her.

"A-Alice? Alice Ashkebourne? Where have you been? It's been a few days since you left us…and after…after Tiana…" Jovich could say no more. She cried into her hands, weeping loudly; attracting a lot of attention around her.

"Jovich…I'm sorry…about running away…about Tiana…it's all my fault…I shouldn't have come into you life…I should have just stayed in Glast Heim…"

Jovich looked up, eyes still drenched but widened immensely. "You…you're that girl that the Owl Baron wanted…? You…stay away from me! Demon! You killed Tiana didn't you! Why…why us? You cold-hearted bit-"

Before anymore could be said, Alice ran away from Jovich, straight into the sea of merchants. Now Jovich hates her…she knows what she was…she won't ever be friends with her again…

…she lost another friend again…

No. Don't look back. Keep finding Little Tails…at least one friend would still be there for her…

Auril, Lulaba and Grace had their backs on each other. The zombies kept rising back from the dead when they were killed…even severed limbs crawled toward the trio.

"Anybody have any more bright ideas?" Auril asked comically. Lulaba's face remained cold while Grace just supported herself with her staff.

"I'm beat…I don't think…I can…fight any…longer…" Grace huffed.

Great, now even Grace was out…if only those stone pillars weren't blocking the rest of the Abyss legion's way…

The zombies suddenly shuddered violently. They froze in their positions suddenly, then slumped onto the floor, dead once again.

"Wah…what happened?" Auril stuttered. Was it a miracle? They couldn't just have disappeared…

Close guess, but he was wrong.

It wasn't a miracle. It was an omen.

Zephyrus entered the Church, just in time to feel a small earthquake...no it was too late...

: _Auril! Get out of there! The Dark Lord Is coming!_ :


	15. Friends

**Friends…**

Prontera, Rune Midgard

A flurry of footsteps…then silence…

Alice peeped over the roof, making sure no one was there. The coast was clear…

Ever since it was known that Alice was the one the Owl Baron wanted, she had been drawing a lot of attention to herself. She hated it when somebody stares at her like a monster; she hated it when people tugged at her arms, as if checking to see if she was human. But she hated them most for calling her a demon…

Trying not to brood too much about it, she leapt to the next roof, landing with a small thud. She was light, but not weightless. Anybody could have heard her…

Silence…

Heaving a small sigh of relief, Alice sat on the rooftop's slope. This must be one of the tallest buildings in Prontera…she could see almost everything below her. The only thing rivalling the house's height was the Castle itself.

From her vantage point, she could see the merchants and people shouting on the tops of their voices, getting the best offers possible. A few knights were sparing each other, competing for a very precious spear a blacksmith had…

"…alright, alright, I'll open the window," The roof's window swung open, revealing a young lady with long, purple hair…

Alice panicked, not knowing what to do…should she try to talk to her? Or should she just run? But if she ran, the lady would be able to see her…

"Oh! Who…who are you?" The purple haired woman asked, "Are you a thief? I know…wait a second; you're Alice!"

Shoot…she knew who she was…Alice was about to leap off from the roof when she heard the lady speak again, "…you're the one who was with Auril when he brought me that cat of his!"

Alice's heart stopped for a beat. The lady's words hit her way too fast. The shock was more then Alice could bear…

She had Little Tails?

"What are you doing on my roof anyway? Uh…come on in then. And don't bother using the front door," The lady swung open the window, giving Alice enough space to squeeze in.

She was going to see Little Tails…she was going to run away again…but this time with a friend…

She crept into the house, making the floor creak slightly as she landed. It was the attic of the house, and the place was converted into a room; apparently the purple haired lady's own. Alice walked apprehensively around, eager to see Little Tails, yet there was no sign of him…was he somewhere else?

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself when you were with Auril; my name is Diana, full time Kafra Receptionist of Southern Prontera. This is my home; or at least, a rented room…" Diana paused for a moment, then asked, "So, what's your name? And what were you doing on the roof?"

Alice turned to look at her. Should she mention her real name? She didn't want to be known that she was here…

No, this lady, Diana, helped her take care of Little Tails…it was small courteous to at least say the truth…it was easier that way too…

"I'm Alice…" Alice said softly, head lowered, "I…I'm sorry for being on your roof…I was…running…from people…"

Diana raised an eyebrow, unbelievingly, "Then how in blazes did you get up to the roof in the first place? Did you jump up?" she joked.

"Yes…" Alice replied flatly.

Diana raised her eyebrow again. It was obvious she still did not believe Alice. But she waved a hand at her, turning around, "Ah, I'll just assume you're not going to tell me the truth, so we'll just drop it." She glared at her for a second, "I hope you weren't intent on stealing anything from me."

"No…no ma'am…" Alice said, frightened slightly. What should she do…Diana didn't seem to trust her…

"So, how is Auril doing? I haven't seen him for a few days," Diana said, sitting on the bed. She patted the bed, motioning Alice to sit.

Alice crept over, gingerly sitting down. It was so awkward to be close to a stranger like this…what was this feeling? Fear? Nervousness? Hate?

"Auril…I don't know ma'am…I…I ran from him…" Alice stuttered, "I…I came back here…to get Little Tails…"

Diana heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "Ah, that idiot. Running into a meaningless battle with the brawns but not the brains. This was the King's plan to get rid of some of the impudent ones looking for glory…I feel sorry for those that were chosen as sacrifices; they were sent to their deaths; luckily, the King granted their souls safe return…"

It was Alice's turn to be incredulous. All of Auril's plans were just so that the King could get rid of him and the others? No…it can't be…her friends…they were all going to die? This can't be…they were all so nice…they don't deserve this…

No. Alice promised herself she wouldn't turn back…she would get Little Tails and run…run far away, where nobody would recognise her…

"Miss Diana…Auril…he gave you my kitten, Little Tails, to you…um…can I have him back…please?" Alice asked, so softly, it was barely louder then the wind.

Diana looked at Alice, her face contorted uneasily. "Oh…I'm so sorry dear…I don't know what to say…" She paused a moment, head lowered, "That kitten was yours? I'm very sorry…but…"

Alice looked at her. What happened? Why was she so apologetic suddenly? Little Tails was with her, wasn't he? What was there to be sorry about?

No…it can't be…

"Alice, dear…please forgive me…but in a robbery, your Little Tails was caught in a fight…he's-he's…dead."

The last word struck Alice like a mace. Little Tails…dead? No…it can't be true…after enduring so much, has another friend died? No…it can't be true…

"No…please…" Alice tugged at Diana's sleeve, "Please…tell me you were lying…please…it was a joke…right? You should be laughing…we should all be laughing…it's not very funny, but…" Diana refused to look at her, "No…please…tell me he isn't dead…tell me…I can't…no…he's not…"

"Dear…I'm sorry, but I can't say that…because it's the truth…"

"No…no…not him…not Little Tails…" Alice backed away from Diana, as if suddenly realising, "It's you…it's your fault…isn't it? You…you didn't protect him…you…you let my friend die…didn't you?"

Diana said nothing, still looking away from her.

"No…no…Little Tails…no…" Tears streamed down Alice's eyes, dripping onto the wooden dusty floor, "You…how could you…he was my friend, my only true friend…and now…he…he's….dead…?"

"Alice, please don't-"

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!"

Alice ran for the window; bursting it apart with a surge of mana. She leapt out, running away from the murderer…

No…all her friends…ever since the Dark Lord took her…all her friends…they're all gone…why…why was her life like this…she just wanted a nice peaceful life…she didn't want to live this life of misery…why didn't she die…why wasn't she killed with everyone a thousand years ago…? Why…?

Alice didn't have anything left…she was alone…all alone again…Little Tails…Diana…Jovich…Auril…

Auril…?

No…she had friends left…Auril…Grace…Lulaba…everyone…

They were going to die too…

No! She couldn't let them die…

Alice held back her tears. Little Tails…he didn't deserve this kind of life…he should have grown to a strong cat and have his own family…but no…he was dead…

And Alice wasn't about to let that happen to the last shards of meaning to her life…she had to save them…

Glast Heim Churchyard, Glast Heim

: _Auril! Get out of there! The Dark Lord is coming!_ :

Auril blinked once. Who was that? It sounded like…Zephyrus? That silent Eclipse of the Moon-born wizard…

A slight earthquake rumbled the floor. It wasn't very noticeable, so Auril ignored it.

: _Relax, Zephyrus, I've got everything under control._ : Auril replied coolly. He wasn't about to turn tail and run; not that he can anyway.

: _You don't understand! The Dark Lord! He-_ :

: _Save your words for later. I'm not about to give up the glory so easily! You want it all to yourself don't you? Well, sorry! You trick isn't going to work on me!_ :

: _Auril! You-_ :

Auril cut the link. That should keep him quiet.

Auril, Lulaba and Grace huddled closer together, waiting for something to happen…nothing.

"Humph, so that jerk is lying…" Auril muttered to himself. He slung his spear back onto his back, whistling to his peco peco.

"Okay, now that the zombies are gone, we've got to find a way to remove whatever it was that was blocking the way to where we are now. The other's can come over as soon as we figure out that problem."

Lulaba and Grace nodded, turning to follow Auril…

"That won't be necessary, Abyss Legion Knight. I've already taken care of them."

Auril froze. The voice was so deep and foreign, yet so familiar…who was it…?

Not him…not now…

Auril turned around, glaring into the eyes of the fifteen foot tall giant.

The Dark Lord has come.

Damn it…that bastard was really going to get it…

Zephyrus sped into the Abbey blindly, desperately finding the place Auril was. Kaylah mentioned that one of her friends in Abyss Legion went down to the south east of the Abbey…

But where was the entrance to the Churchyard? Damn, damn, damn, damn! If Auril would only listen to him…

"Argh…help…me…"

Zephyrus turned around. A monk was lying on the wall, bleeding profusely into the ground. His right arm was missing from the elbow down, and his clothes were soaked into a putrid red pulp. His ear was ripped off forcefully from his head, leaving a hole oozing with blood all around it. His eye was dangerously dangling outside of its socket, flopping around uselessly. It was a grim sight.

"Hey, are you okay…ah…I can se you're not…" Zephyrus said cautiously. The monk looked at him with his good eye, making his other eye swing on its remaining bit of muscle.

"Help…me…the…Dark…Lord…his…Dark…Illusions…nothing… we…can…do…" he managed to choke out. His throat was slit, letting blood gush out like a fountain. He must be one hard-cored son of an arse to be still alive.

"Shoot…the Dark Lord has already risen? Then we're too late…" Zephyrus said, getting out his healing clip, "Hang on, you can't die now…the Dark Lord found a way to block the Metempsychosis Spell…if you die, you stay that way forever…"

But the monk didn't move. He didn't puff desperately nor twitch in his position. He was dead.

'Damn!' Zephyrus thought to himself. He could have saved him if he came sooner…

But this wasn't the time to brood about it. He had to get his own men out.

: _Zeus Legion! We're bailing out of Glast Heim! Auril can die for all I care, He's done too much damage to stop now. Saddle up and get out, now!_ :

He did the dead monk a small favour, healing his wounds, then burnt his corpse ceremoniously with mage fire. He could feel the monk's soul dancing about, lost and hopeless, but with a hint of gratitude in Zephyrus's actions.

With a final look at Glast Heim Abbey, he ran back out for the last time.

This was the moment Auril has been waiting for. The Dark Lord, he and his comrades fighting to the death. He'll be city hero if he made it, beaten or victorious. He'll rise above kings for that feat…

"Lulaba, Grace, get ready…"

But when he looked at them, it wasn't the determined faces and ready-for-action stance he saw. They were tainted with fear and their faces were as white as Alice's. Even Lulaba looked like she was ready to drop her weapons and run.

'Great; now it's one on one…' Auril thought to himself.

The Dark Lord waved his hand once, summoning a huge pile of dead bodies; everybody from the Abyss Legion.

No…they were all there…Meth, Chan, Turamii…even Lulaba's Falcon…

The Dark Lord sneered, seeing the shocked looks in the three pitiful mortals standing at his feet. Their comrades were all far too easy; they were no match against the Dark Illusions. If he still had his Titans however…

Auril stood tall, still not refusing to give in. "Dark Lord! I came here to fight you, and a fight I will get!" Auril took out his spear, "Bring it on!"

The Dark Lord grinned, the sockets in his skulls flaring. "Impudent human, you dare to duel the Dark Lord? Nobody has ever shown such stupidity to me," the Dark Lord sneered again, "ever since the last Auril."

Auril gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing. He knew his name…and his family history…the Dark Lord knew all along?

"But I accept your challenge. Let none stop us then," He pointed his palms toward Grace and Lulaba, charging up the largest amount of mana Auril felt in his life.

Grace and Lulaba watched in horror. Their lives flashed past them in an instant. Grace ran toward Auril, holding out her hand…"Auril!" she cried, but it was too late. The Dark Lord shot a surge of lightning so bright that Auril had to turn away. A huge impact threw him and his armour ten feet away from his original position.

Auril peered at where the Dark Lord struck his friends. Did they make it?

No…it was much worse…

Grace's body was completely burnt into a black, smoking corpse. She was severed on her waist, steaming out a red vapour that suspiciously smelt of blood…Her eyes were melted out of their sockets and her skin looked as if it was flowing off her body…

Auril couldn't bear to look at Lulaba, not after Grace…Tears in his eye; he screamed one last taunt at the Dark Lord, "You'll Pay for this! You and you other scum of Glast Heim!"

He lifted his spear, bringing its point toward the Dark Lord. He rammed it into the soft part of the Dark Lord, impaling him deeply.

The Dark Lord grinned, as if Auril's attack was meaningless to him. He slapped away Auril with a gigantic hand, sending him and his now broken spear to the floor.

"If that's all you have," the Dark Lord said solemnly, "then you don't deserve to fight me."

Furious, Auril charged at the Dark Lord again. He wasn't going to let this bastard beat him. He wasn't going to let anyone die for nothing.

Auril unsheathed his claymore, invoking it with a brilliant white aura. He was going to show the Dark Lord what a true Lord Knight could do.

Auril leapt as high as he can, landing right above the Dark Lord. The Lord reached out with his colossal hand, only to get it sliced off by only one of Auril's attacks. But Auril wasn't done yet, he placed his claymore in a piercing stance, aiming for the Dark Lord's skull…

A sudden wash of pain appeared all around Auril's body as the Dark Lord's fire wall engulfed him in flame. Auril screamed in pain, landing head first onto the ground. He was almost knocked out from the blow.

The Dark Lord summoned a circle around him, chanting so quickly it all seemed like one word. Oh shoot…

A hail of meteors rammed into the Churchyard, sending bricks and pieces of debris up into the sky. Auril got up just in time to dodge one meteor coming straight at him. The Dark Lord Laughed as he watched the pathetic human scramble back and forth, dodging the flaming boulders coming from the sky. At the same time, Auril glimpsed his hand growing back…

Another meteor impacted just behind Auril. It sent him flying forward…straight into the path of another meteor.

'Shoot…I didn't want to use this so quickly, but…'

Auril screamed a battle cry, sending his whole body into a frenzied red. He could see the world around him slow down as his reflexes increased. His claymore felt much lighter than before. His vision was enveloped by an angry red fog. And he was angry.

The meteor was only one metre away from him, but Auril stood still. He raised his claymore and batted the Meteor straight at the Dark Lord. Even before the meteor could hit its mark, Auril sprung into action. He let his claymore dig into the ground, the resistance making him even angrier.

The meteor hit the Dark Lord, making him flinch for one crucial second. Auril sprung straight at his chest, letting his Claymore flying deep into his already dented chest. The Dark Lord flinched again, backing away in surprise.

But Auril wasn't done yet. He continued to slash at the Dark Lord for as long as he could remain airborne. He ended his brutal assault with a straight vertical cut, splitting the Dark Lord's armour into half.

No. He still wasn't finished. Auril watched as the Dark Lord fell to the ground, as if in slow motion. He wasn't about to let him die so peacefully yet. Auril charged at him, sword raised. He held it with both his hands, swinging with all his might. He hit the back of the Dark Lord's skull, making a deep crack in it. The Dark Lord flew back up from the force of the impact. It looks like the end for him now…

"AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Auril cried out. Sudden surges of electricity shot through Auril, causing pain so great, it numbed him. He lay helplessly on the floor, only the twitching of his body showed proof that he was alive.

"Stupid mortal," the Dark Lord said emotionlessly, "Your cockiness is so great you underestimate me. Arrogant fool."

A swarm of Dark Illusions appeared around Auril's line of vision. He watched helplessly as the Dark Lord tormented him further.

"The Dark lord is not stupid. He never fights a losing battle; unlike you. Your pitiful attempts to find the Emperium has been wasted…the Emperium," the Dark Lord said, "Is within me."

Auril tried to widen his eyes, but couldn't even move his eyeballs. The Emperium…so it was in him all along...no wonder why he couldn't find it…it wasn't fair…the Dark Lord knew…

"And now, Auril, your life is mine. I shall have the pleasure of enslaving you to eternal damnation, just like the old Auril."

With that, the Dark Illusions picked Auril up, escorting him out of the Churchyard. Enslave him? Like Alice? No…he didn't give up, he didn't come all the way just for this…he wanted glory…he wanted fame…he wanted revenge…

"Ah, Dark Lord, you must be forgetting what happened to your Titans the last time."

A voice stopped the Dark Illusions. The Dark Lord turned his head in the direction of the speaker, "That voice…no, it's not…"

A brilliant white flash lighted up the Churchyard, searing Auril's eyes. He couldn't close his eyes; he was too numb to do that. His eyes watered instead, making his vision even more blurred.

"Balmung…" the Dark Lord muttered.

"My ancestor defeated your titans with this sword the last time. The Oppression Spell imbued upon it makes it unstoppable," Lord Balmung appeared before the Dark Lord and Illusions.

"Wretched fool, that thing couldn't slay me the last time…"

"Oh, but it can destroy the Emperium within you. Thanks for leaking out the info, your lordship."

"Damn you, ILLUSIONS! KILL HIM!" the Dark Lord barked.

The Dark Illusions surrounded Balmung, casting their lightning spells at him. Balmung ignored them, charging at the Dark Lord valiantly, making the pain flowing through him his motivation.

The Dark Lord cast fire walls all around him, but it was no use. Balmung ran through the fire wall, searing his flesh and armour till they almost melted. He thrust his sword into the Dark Lord, pulling it out to reveal…

The shard of the Emperium…

: _SHEILD TEAM! LET DOWN BARRIER! NOW!_ :

A sudden surge of energy shot through Auril. He felt the Barrier Spell flaring throughout Glast Heim. His body tingled and his hair rose; his numbness was forgotten for a second as the feeling washed over him.

In the next second, the Dark Lord yelled in anger, sending the largest spell circle Auril has ever seen.

"I'LL SEND ALL OF YOU TO HELL FOR THIS! YOU SHALL PAY! YOU WILL DIE THE MOST MISERABLE DEATH!"

Meteors the size of houses rained down on Glast Heim, destroying almost all the buildings. The one-thousand year old tragedy was relived.

But Balmung laughed, even as a meteor burst into the Churchyard. He continued laughing, until they were all struck by the meteor…

"Wahahahaha! Your plan failed Lord of Darkness! The barrier is set up, and the Metempsychosis spell can work again! We win…"

The meteor crushed him and the Dark Illusions into pulp, leaving the largest impact crater Auril has ever seen in his life. Pieces of debris flew into his face, piercing him. Blood flooded his vision, forcing him to shut his eyes…

This battle was won…but the glory wasn't his…


	16. I, the One to Live

**I, the One to Live…**

Glast Plains, Glast Heim boundary…

It can't be too late, they must still be alive…they can't be gone…

Alice ran as fast as she could, trampling over mud and grass. The sky grew red in Glast Heim's direction. Orange specks of fire rained down upon it, engulfing the city in fire and blaze.

It's not too late…it's not too late…

Alice ran faster, even with her aching legs. She has been running for over an hour...but she couldn't give up...not now...she had to save her friends...

One meteor struck Glast Heim Castle, sending debris and flames all across Glast Heim. One particular piece flew straight at Alice, landing with a giant thud behind her.

'That's…my room…' Alice thought as she turned to look at the house sized boulder. No mistake about it; the room still had her wardrobe and bed…all smouldering from the heat of the meteorite.

She could make out something charred and almost as if it was melting. Alice took a closer look, only to recoil away.

It was one of her old Sage Worms…scarred and unmoving in her room…

Even though Alice never thought much of them, they were still her dear friends. She crept closer, holding its limp body in her arms. She didn't like this…her friends…they were all disappearing…one by one…why can't she just have one friend, who could last with her forever…

Alice lowered her gaze and cried. The Sage Worms weren't allowed to do anything unless they were told to. The one on her arms must have missed Alice…disobeying the rules and waiting patiently for her…even if she yelled at it for doing the wrong thing…even if she never rewarded it for doing things right…

Alice felt sick; what she's been doing was exactly what the Owl Baron was doing to her…she didn't like the thought…all this time, she has been like this…but he still waited…?

Alice laid the Sage Worm on the floor. She couldn't give him a proper burial; not now, she still had her last few friends to save…it couldn't be too late…

A meteor hit the wall of Glast Heim, spewing bricks and stone in every direction. But it met resistance as one piece headed toward Alice. The area in front of her glowed blue, rippled, then vanished as the bolder landed with a thump on the ground.

A barrier? But Alice had to get in…she can't let something like this get in her way…

But when Alice ran toward the barrier, it sparked once, then a wave of static enveloped her. Mystified, Alice stopped running. Wasn't there a barrier just now? That boulder couldn't have stopped itself in mid-air…

Alice reached out to where the barrier was supposed to be. Static washed over her hand, just as a blue sheet of light rippled around it…she could feel a huge flow of mana running through the barrier...

No, Alice had no time for this…she needed to find Auril and the others…She couldn't let them leave her too…

Glast Heim was a mess from inside. Craters and rubble filled the old pavement. Pillars were toppled and walls were smashed; it was a dreadful sight to see…Alice wondered if anybody met the same end as the Sage Worm…

Alice wanted to cry, but she held back her tears. Glast Heim wasn't her home anymore. She had nothing here to lose….

Auril was in the Glast Heim Church, he, Grace and Lulaba must still be inside…

Alice's heart pounded, feeling light headed and her body trembled.

Glast Heim Abbey was struck by a multitude of meteors, the craters still smoking. Alice could smell burnt flesh…it was disgusting…

'Please let it be the zombies…please let it be the zombies…please, not my friends...' Alice prayed to herself. Even with so much proof in front of her, Alice refused to believe her friends were dead.

Alice leapt down into one of the craters, falling into the Churchyard below. Everywhere she looked, a body or a limb was sticking out of the rubble…none of them twitched or moved. They were all dead.

She didn't recognise them…but Alice was more than sure this was Auril's regiment. He had to be here somewhere…he, Grace and Lulaba…they had to…

Alice stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her was what she worst feared. Even though the bodies were incomprehensible, traces of their existence filled the air in the form of mana…

Grace and Lulaba…Alice was too late…they were…dead…

No…this can't be…why…why her…why was she the one to have these things happening to her…she didn't want this…not this…

Alice fell to the floor, crying. Her friends…all her friends…they're all gone now…nobody was left…she was alone again…

Her sobbing echoed throughout Glast Heim…her lone voice drifting into the wind….

Alice woke up, the sky in her face and soft grass beneath her. What happened…? She was in Glast Heim…Lulaba…Grace…and Auril…she saw their bodies…didn't she?

Maybe it was really a dream this time…another nightmare that just happened to pop into her mind…

A rush of feathers brushed past her, then, the face of a young lady appeared before Alice…blonde hair and a pair of odd coloured eyes…who was she?

"Alice, you're awake," a soft and gentle voice called out to her.

Alice rubbed her eyes, and found her tears were still in her face. She rubbed them hastily with her sleeve, then turned to look at the person beside her…

…except she wasn't just another person…

The Valkyrie stood tall, he four wings flowing with the wind. In her hand, she held a long staff made completely from gold. Her body was armoured with silver plating of the finest calibre. She didn't look at Alice, but instead, looked straight through her. Her gaze pierced Alice hard, making her feel very uncomfortable.

"Umm…I'm sorry, but…who are you…?" Alice asked timidly.

The Valkyrie gave her a gentle smile, "I am Reya, a Valkyrie…or a heretic. I have come…to give you what you rightfully deserve."

Alice blinked, not understanding at all. A heretic? What she deserves? What was all this about…?

Reading her face, Reya's gaze dropped to the floor. "I have judged you, and I have made a decision. This life was not meant for you, dear Alice. You have endured too much hardship for too long. But no one else in the Valkyrie Realm thought much of you…except me. I broke our laws, just so I could come to you. It is somebody else's turn to give up their life for someone else's now, Alice. Even if I were banished from my beloved land, I am willing to sacrifice myself for you."

Alice didn't know what to say…she had never seen this person, and now she was going to sacrifice herself…'For me?' Alice thought.

The Valkyrie's sad eyes looked up at Alice again. "Yes Alice, for you." It was as if Reya could read Alice's mind, "I am the sacrificial lamb to clean up this mess. We are not allowed to leave our city…or be seen by those who are not worthy yet. You are above all others, having to go through an immortals life. Your suffering has touched me and my goddess Freya…and now I have come to fulfil your wish."

Alice wanted to back away as Reya stepped closer to her, but she was still awed by the sight of the two metre Valkyrie. She let the Valkyrie pick her up, onto her feet. She let her arms wrap around. The Valkyrie hovered just above the ground, and spread her wings to their fullest.

Alice felt her body easing away. It was like her body was knitted together, and threads were slowly and gently plucked away. She felt as if she was shrinking, then her mind began to clear away…she was changing…but nothing like what the Dark Lord did to her…

The feeling continued, and she closed her eyes. It felt so peaceful…all her worries were gone and the sorrows she had faced slowly faded away. She felt younger…stronger...much more than before...

"And now, Alice," the Valkyrie whispered, "You are reborn…"

Auril woke up, his head aching and no feelings came through his legs. His eyes opened slowly, revealing the dark figure of the Dark Lord in front of him.

"Ah, you have roused from your slumber. Very good, we can start right away," The Dark Lord sneered.

Auril looked around, panicking. His sword…it was gone…his arms and legs were chained up to the floor. Lines covered his body, and his face felt very cold.

"You know what I am going to do to you, Auril?" the Dark Lord asked. Auril did not reply. "I'm going to make you mine. Mine and forever more. You shall serve your enemy as a loyal slave. You shall kill your friends against all your will. I will give you the worst humiliation yet."

The Dark Lord raised a hand at him, and a red bolt of light struck the lines on his body. He screamed in pain as blood flowed out of his body, littering the floor with his red.

He could feel his body changing…he was much stronger, much more powerful. But he had no control over it. He tried to scream, but his mouth would no longer listen to him. His skin became black and cold, his eyes glowing red…

"This is your punishment for trying to conquer me. You will no longer be Auril of the Abyss Legion. You shall be my slave, my most powerful adversary. You are now the Knight of Abyss."

Auril stared in horror as his body's control faded away from him completely…his life was about to be his worst nightmare...


End file.
